From Sand to Leaf
by Knight Kunoichi
Summary: Collection of stories about Shikamaru and Temari's relationship. From the first dates to marriage, from the first kiss to parenthood. Shameless fluff (as always!) about my favourite pairing. Read, enjoy and please review... If it's not to troublesome! Thanks!
1. Sleepless

Troublesome…

That was his first thought when the lazy genius woke up. One hour… He only slept for one hour and here he is, wide awake, starring at the ceiling of his room.

One would've thought that something major happened to wake de nap-loving shinobi, but no. Nothing happened. Not an intruder or a loud noise or a storm. He is wide awake, in the middle of the night because it was the "first night". That's what he calls it now.

What a drag…

Since… Well, he doesn't know since when, but now he recognizes the pattern. It's a cycle, to be precise. This happens every time. It all starts in the "first night". The night before the day that she lefts Suna. That woman…

He becomes… Sleepless… No naps, no full nights of peaceful sleep.

He, the most calm and lazy person in the world, becomes sleepless. And restless.

He gets up and starts pacing the room. Three days. Three days and the most troublesome woman will be here. His troublesome woman…

He smiles at the thought. His woman. He doesn't even know how that happen. It was a slow development. Everyone saw what's coming before them. At least, that is what Ino and Naruto keep screaming at them. First she was a co-worker, then an ally, then a friend, a confident, someone he can't live without. Now… She is his sun. He would never tell her that. It would be to cheesy and she would have a laugh fit at his expense. But that's what she is. His sun. His everything.

When she arrives at Konoha, he is so happy that he feels like he will burst. He doesn't show that. That's not their "style". He meets her at the gates, dismiss the guarder's teasing and they'll stroll calmly in the streets. Next they'll visit Kakashi at his office and he'll smile and tell them to take the day off, it was a long journey after all. Shikamaru will lightly protest but inwardly he's thanking the older man.

Then they'll go to her hotel. Calmly, no rush.

And then, the door is finally close behind them. And the rush begins.

Luggage and fans are thrown at the wall, clothes fly acrossing the room and they become a mess of intertwined limbs, sloped kisses, teeth chocking, and tongues fighting until the longing and the desire calm down.

They finally take a breath, looking at each other eyes, sweated and flushed and exhausted and spend the rest of the day lying there, in that sweet surrender.

Shikamaru smiles at the memories… Three days, just three more days to have his troublesome woman lying naked and thoroughly loved in his arms.

But right now, he is in this predicament. The same predicament as always:

He became insomniac the night before the first day. During the first day, he keeps as busy as he cans, to keep his mind from wandering. Then he'll stay awake most of the night.

The second day is the hardest. He'll be restless and impatient. He'll snap at people and bitch about paperwork. Ino calls it "the insufferable stage". The second night is easier. Sleepless, but full of happy thoughts. Just 12 more hours, 11, 10…

Then comes morning and he is happier. Oddly happier. He'll sing under his breath and in the shower, and waltz with his mom in the kitchen. She'll laugh and hit his arm and, when he's heading out, she'll scream "Say hi to Temari for me! I won't wait for you tonight". He'll smile and blush.

And then, the final wait begins. At first, it was a long wait. She would only arrive at evening, sometimes almost at dinner time. But now, she'll speed all the way from Suna to arrive early in the morning.

The first guards that see her, send a message to the Hokage. Kakashi just smiles and says him to go.

10 minutes. 10 minutes it's the exact time that takes for them to arrive the village gates.

And then, another cycle of lack of sleep will begin. Now he'll skip his loved naps to be with her. To work by her side, to watch clouds and take walks together, to talk to her, to hear her laughing and see her smile, to disturb her thoughts and to kiss her in her room.

And to fall asleep with her safe in his arms, as close as its humanly possible.

The best days of his life. He will be full of energy, a strange electricity rushing throw his body. He'll find himself humming at work, complaining less, randomly smiling like an idiot fool. And she'll tease him to no end. But he knows she's happier too. She sings in the shower and smiles more times. Their battering is a sign of love and happiness.

But everything comes to an end and the last stage of the cycle begins. In her last night in Konoha, they'll lie awake all night. Limbs intertwined, eyes locked at each others, trying to memorize every bit of one another. Their eyes will become wet and shiny a couple of times, their embrace will become stronger, their whispers will become more direct.

When morning comes, they'll say "I love you" and "I'll miss you" a little too much for their taste. He doesn't feel like bursting into tears anymore. He doesn't even cry in his room anymore. He'll walk her to the gate, wave her goodbye and get back to work.

And sigh. And complain. And get lazier than ever. And snappy than ever. And "absolutely a pain in the ass" as Ino puts it.

And again… Sleepless… He'll stay awake every night until a falcon arrives at the Hokage's office. A little note with the words "I arrived safely" and a code. He breaks the code in less than 2 minutes and he smiles and puts the note in his pocket. He never told her, but he keeps every note that she sends him. From "I'm coming next Friday" ones to the "I arrived safely" ones.

But right now, that note is far from his mind. Her "I'm coming" note arrived today and it's only 3 days until she arrives. Only 3 days and he'll have her in his arms for 3 weeks.

He lays in the bed again and closes his eyes, trying to get a couple of hours of sleep.

As he drifts, he thinks that he has to thanks to Kakashi. That man is one of a kind. Only that pervy Hokage would come up with a 3 week long paperwork marathon…


	2. Restless

It's a beautiful day in Konoha. Clouds drift slowly in the blue sky. The village is finally rebuilt and bustling with activity. People strolling in the streets, shops filled with products, kids running from the Academy after the classes. Is just a perfect day in Konoha.

And that's why Ino is about to lose her temper with the number 1 lazy genius of Konoha.

"Hoy! Shikamaru! Are you listening to me?"

Said ninja sighs for the tenth time in the last five minutes "Yes, Ino, I'm listening to you. Everyone in the village can hear you…"

"Hoy, Shika… There is no need to talk like that with her…" Chogi intervenes before an angry Ino starts a screaming fit. "What's the problem with you today,man?"

"Not 'what'.It's a 'who'. Right?" Ino softens a bit, understanding why her normally easy going teammate is so impatient today.

"hmmm?" Shikamaru makes a non-committed noise and plays with his meat.

"How long since she went home?" The blonde tries again.

"3 weeks… And there is no reason for her to come back so soon…" Shikamaru answers without even thinking.

"So… Why don't you go and visit her?" Chogi asks between mouthfuls

"I can do that! No one knows about us, besides you and Kakashi, I think! And I can just ask for a week off of work and go to Suna! Her brothers would kill me! And she would resurrect me just to scream with me and kill me again." Shikamaru stresses out.

"Oh don't be a baby! You are dating for what? Over a year? EVERYBODY knows about you! Even Sai notice that"

The lazy genius becomes beet red. "What? How?.."

"Oh come on! You are always together, you disappear when she's here, you smile like a fool around her and you become insufferable when she's gone." Ino smiles "You are in love. Both of you. And there is nothing wrong in that. Except that you live at 3 days distance from each other and if you this insufferable when you are apart, I can only imagine how is to live in Suna these days… That girl has a bad temper…"

"Troublessome…" Shikamaru smiles at the thought. "Still, I can go now, I have too much to do."

"So suck it up and stop moping around! Poor Kakashi-sama, having to deal with you sighing around all day!"

"He's fine with my 'moping', thank you! Actually, he said he prefers that to the blonde 'bundle of energy" that he was used to…"

The three laugh at the Hokage's words. It's good to be together, even if one of them is bored out of his mind. It's strange for the other two to see their lazy, easy going, stoic teammate so restless. Ino takes a better look at him, before bursting out into laugh.

"What?" He asks.

"Oh Shikamaru! Come on! You can sigh, mop around, sulk, but please, please! Don't pout! It's ridiculous! And almost makes me want to hug you!"

"I am not pouting! Leave me alone!" Shikamaru raises his voice.

"Calm down, man, she's just teasing you". Chogi tries to calm down his best friend.

"You know what? I'm not in the mood for this. See you next week." And with that, Shikamaru gets up and heads out, living two stunned best friends behind.

Shikamaru's is ashamed of his attitude the minute he walks out of the door. But today he is just… annoyed… Everything is beautiful, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are perfect and people are happy. Just too happy. Everyone is so happy and he is… lonely… He swallows the knot in his throat and lays in the grasse, looking at the clouds.

It's just unfair. He never dreamed big. He never wanted to be Hokage, to be an avenger (ok, he avenged Asuma's that but it was an onetime thing!), a great shinobi. His dreams were always average: an average wife, and average career, a couple of average kids, first a girl, then a boy.

How did he get in this mess? Here he is, sulking like a toddler over a woman. The most troublesome woman in the world, mind you!

He sighs again… Troublesome woman… He misses her so much… Life is just a drag without her here, nagging him, making fun at him, laughing with him, making love with him…

He thinks about Ino's words… Maybe he could ask for a mission in Suna… Kakashi is so understanding… He understands the toll of a long-distance relationship… But it would be humiliating to beg for a mission… And he is needed here… And what if she doesn't like him there? And what if she is away for so long because she is done with him? Maybe this is her way to break up with him, simply going away and never come back…

He plays a million scenarios in his head, contemplates a hundred plans and strategies. He closes his eyes. It's too much, he has to stop all this thinking. It's ridiculous. Everything was fine when she went home. They said goodbye in her hotel room, she told him to not cry and to work hard, he hugged her tight and kissed her deep. Then they walk to the gates and he stand there watching her until she disappear. Just like the other times. She had no reason to run away.

Besides she's just to blunt, to straight forward to leave and don't say anything. If she wanted to break up with him, she would say so, enumerate every reason, scream and fight. Every time they argued, she lost her temper, she scream with him, called him "impossible immature lazy ass", throw something at him. He was no better than her, she knows how to push him until he becomes an unreasonable mess, who screams back at her and storms out of the room. He regrets that five minutes later and comes back, head bowed, silently asking for forgiveness, even when it's not his fault. She would gently hugs him and sell him that she's too troublesome, her own away to say "sorry".

No, she didn't run way; she is just too busy in Suna to come back to him… So busy, that she doesn't even misses him…

"Cloud watching? You should be working, lazy ass!" He's so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't feel her coming. For a moment he thinks that he is dreaming. It's impossible! She's in Suna, the Hokage didn't receive any letter from them…

He feels someone kneeling next to me and opens his eyes. There she is, flashing that million watt smile of hers, arms open to him.

He flung to her arms so fast that she topples and they fall down in the grass. They don't even stop to think if there is anyone around. They kiss with hurry; they hug tight, trying to feel every bit of each other at the same time.

He pulls back a little to breath and to look in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting back to what is mine" She smirks.

"Yours?" He whispers.

"Yes, mine…" She smiles tenderly. "I missed you, cry baby."

"I missed you too, troublesome woman."

They lay in the grass, watching the clouds drifting away, her head in his chest, their fingers intertwined, breathing each other scent.

Shikamaru rests is head in top of hers and nuzzles her hair.

"I'm yours…" He whispers…

And it's a beautiful day in Konoha. Clouds drift slowly in the blue sky. The village is finally rebuilt and bustling with activity. People strolling in the streets, shops filled with products, kids running from the Academy after the classes. Is just a perfect day in Konoha…


	3. Excited

Set prior to "Restless" Chapter. Temari's mood during that time. A little Gaara centric, too. And a lot OOC for both of them, but I can resist to a sweeter, loving Gaara.

* * *

It's a hot day in Sun, even for Suna standards. The air is stale and the sand floats turning it irrespirable. The newly reconstructed village is full of sluggish activity, people trying to push their lives in this hostile hit.

Despite the hot weather, in the Kazecage office the air is cold and stiff. Gaara takes a deep breath. Today is going to be a long day. A very long day, indeed. Is siblings are absolutely insupportable today.

Temari is moody and snappy, rushing in and out the office, throwing papers in his desk, slamming doors and answering with sarcastic remarks and monotonic words.

Kankuro is more than happy to push all her buttons, teasing her, laughing at her exasperation, taking her to her limit.

Gaara is thinking that maybe he could activate his sand defense and work inside it, just to not hear his older siblings bickering and fighting. It's impossible to concentrate in his paperwork today. He almost assigned a S-rank mission to a group of genins by mistake and he is reading this Konoha letter for about 10 minutes now. He takes another deep breath when the screaming begins again.

"I'm NOT in PMS, you idiot! Go get some work done and leave me alone, for Kami sakes! I'm trying to actually do something productive here! Go play with your dolls!"

"Dolls? They are war marionettes, fan girl! And you are not working! You are bitching around and throwing papers at my poor little brother!"

"I would never throw anything at MY little brother! But I would throw you out of the window, you disrespectful brat! Go apply some make up!"

"If YOU were make up, maybe that pineapple-head of yours wouldn't kick your ass out of Konoha! And you wouldn't be here making our lives miserable!"

"WHAT?" That was Temari's last straw. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes full of angry tears and her body emanates killing intent from every pore.

Gaara gets up and in between his brother and sister. "ENOUGH! Temari put your fan back! You will not destroy my office just to kill our brother! I don't have money to reconstruct it again. Kankuro apologize to our sister RIGHT NOW! You went over line. Even I notice it! And stop arguing! I'm trying to read a letter from Konoha for 15 minutes!"

Temari's head spins so fast to look at her baby brother that Gaara thinks that it isn't humanly possible. "Konoha? But there are no meetings planned! What happened? There is any problems? They are in danger?"

Kankuro snickers at his flustered sister. She's always so compose and stoic that she earned the title of "The Cruellest Kunoichi" back then. Now, she becomes all frantically every time someone mentions Konoha and a certain lazy genius.

"Calm down, nee-chan. Everything is just fine. Hokage-sama just send an invite to you."

"To me? For what?"

"For their festival. He realized that you only go there to work and that you never were there for their festival. As a valuable ally and an important friend of the village, he invited you. That way, you can take a well-deserved break and enjoy yourself. Maybe, making a couple of friends, or go on a 'girls night' as he put it… Actually, he mentions that Shikamaru-san will be on a break to…" Gaara smiles. Maybe his last remark can convince his exhausted sister to go and relax for a bit. Besides it, she always come back happier, he has to admit. That Konoha strategist makes her happier than anyone in the world. And she deserves all the happiness in the universe. This girl suffers all her life, put everyone's wellbeing and happiness above of hers and works like a slave. She deserves a vacation and a "love getaway".

"Break? I can't take a week break just to go to a festival" Temari is dumb founded.

"Actually, two weeks, maybe a little more because of the journey…"

"You are insane! And I leave you here with this moron?". Kankuro growls at this.

"This moron is more than capable to help me out. Everything is under control. The academy is working fine, there is no Chunnin exams in the near future, no hard missions to assign. I just have to assign easy missions and make sure that no genin gets lost in the desert. Easy…"

"So you are saying that you don't need me anymore?" Temari looks hurt…

Kankuro rolls his eyes. "Damn girl, I don't know how that lazy-ass puts up with you! Two Kages are working together to give you and your boyfriend time to get laid! So go! Pack your bags and get out of here!"

Gaara sighs… His brother is always so… Rude… "Kankuro don't talk like that, please. We are just giving a break to a valuable kunoichi for both villages. She earned it by working like a slave, since this two villages became allies. If you work like that, I'll give you a prize two." He turns to Temari. "So, nee-chan… Can I write back and tell Hokage-sama that you are leaving to Konoha in…what? Two days? It's enough for you to get your things packed and ready?"

"Tomorrow! You can say I'm leaving tomorrow, in the crack of dawn…" Temari blurts out excited. "If… If that's okay with you, Kazecage-sama…" She blushes at her silliness.

"I'm your baby brother, nee-chan… Don't call me that when we are between family, please…" Gaara's smile is bright and his eyes are full of love and relieve. He's really worried with his sister. He understands her bad mood. A long distance relationship is hard. She doesn't see her boyfriend in over three weeks and she misses him badly, even if she doesn't admit it. He knows that sooner or later, he will "lose" his sister to the Konoha genius. And despite his sadness, he knows that it is the best for her.

In Suna, she's moody and sad. She doesn't sleep well and gets angrier, and angrier as the times goes by. In Konoha, she's all smiles and sassy remarks and shiny eyes, according to Kakashi-sama. He feels bad to talk with him behind her back, but he has to know. To understand this relationship and Shikamaru's true feelings and motivations.

As far as he knows, the always lazy ninja is more than motivated around his sister. He's full of energy, works like crazy, smiles, and laughs, and talks non-stop. They are in love. So both Kages played a little game of match-making, assigning them longer missions together, giving them tons of paperwork to sort, and every little excuse they can think of to keep them together as long as possible. They know that the couple noticed that. No one needs three weeks to sort paperwork, especially two smart strategists. But, said strategists are more than happy to play dumb and let the Kages continue their little game.

So Gaara knows that his sister soon will be leaving Suna for good. Konoha is her home right now, is where she's meant to be, close to her important person. And as sad as it can be, Gaara can't be more happy for her.

"Yes, nee-chan, you can go tomorrow. Actually, go home now and pack your bags and rest for a little before your journey."

Temari's smile is brighter than the desert's sun. She launches herself at her brother's arms, startling him for a moment, before he returns the hug.

"Thanks, nee-chan! Say 'thanks' to Kakashi-sama for me, please!" And with that, she leaves the run, actually skipping down the hall, a spring in her steps and a smile in her face that there weren't there 5 minutes ago.

Kankuro and Gaara look at each other and burst into laugh at their sister's out of character behaviour.

"Well… maybe now, I can't get some work done, nii-chan…" Gaara says.

Kanakuro nods and starts organizing the Kazekage's papers for the day…

Yes, they know they'll lose their precious sister to Konoha, but if that is the price to pay to see her happy like that and acting like a girl of her age… They are more than happy to pay it.


	4. Comforting

She watched him for a while.

He looked defeated, drained. He is leaning against a tree, an arm wrapping his left knee, head bowed.

She sighed, thinking on what to say. Yes, she had lost her father but… it was different. He was a stranger, someone who abandoned her and left her in charge of two babies, someone who treat her baby brother as a weapon. Not the caring, loving father that is being mourned in front of her.

Temari approached him quietly. She knew that Shikamaru can feel her chackra even in a distance. She put a hand on his shoulder and kneels besides him. He just look at her for a moment and resume to pick strands of grass. And sighs…

"How are you holding up, Cry Baby?". Stupid question, she beats herself, he is a mess. He is not even crying…

"I'm not crying, Troublesome Woman…" His voice so low, so cracked, so strained that she has to make an effort to understand "I'm ok, I guess… I'm holding on, like he told me…"

"He told you to hold on during the fight, not forever… You are suffering; you are in pain, you are angry and hurt. You need to let go sometime…" She brushes her fingers in his cheek, tenderly.

"I'm not a child anymore. I can't hide in my room and cry or broke down in front of everyone… I need to help… I need to rebuild this village… I need…" He raised his voice, almost screaming.

"Hush… You can do all that after you let go, after you let it all out. You aren't that much help, sitting in here, moping around… Come on, talk to me…"

"What are you doing here anyway? Suna needs its Princess… We don't need more troublesome women…"

She chuckles: "I came to see you… To see if you need me… If I can help somehow. "She hesitates…

"You made a three days journey to see me? So troublesome…"

"Yes, I did. So can you please stop shutting me down and talk to me?"

"Abou what?" He sighed…

"About how you feel… About him… Talk to me, let me help!" She cries out "Let me hold you…" She whispered…

He looked at her, more startled by her whispered word than by her outburst… His eyes started to water and he looked away… How can he explain this without looking like a child? How could he talk to her, of all people, without looking like a weak fool…

"He was the best, you know? So calm. So put together. He knew me better than I know myself…"

She smiled and nodded, encouraging him.

"After my first mission, he called me spineless coward when I said that I wanted to give up being a shinobi. I never felt so ashamed in my life, but I understood… That's what I needed to hear to push me forward, to become the shinobi I am today… He always believed in me, he always had that sparkle of proud in his eyes when he talked to me… Even if he were scolding me… He always had time for me. He never turned me away or said to suck up and man up when I was a child… I always felt so protected in his arms or when I was next to him…" He bowed his head trying to hide his watery eyes. She stroke the back of his neck, so comforting… "I don't know what to do without him… Without them… I don't have no one to scold me, to encourage me… " Tears started to fall down his face. There is no point in hiding, she already saw him cry so many times… To many times…

He feels her puts one hand in his shoulder, the other still in the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her, until his head is in her shoulder, his face hiding in her neck, his tears streaming down, wetting her kimono…

"Shhh… I know, I know… He will be with you, deep down in your heart… And I'm here, you know? I'll be always here. I meant what I said… You can call me whenever you need, I'm here to rescue you… Doesn't matter if I have to rescue from rogue ninjas or from your one sorrow, I'm here… I'll always be…" Her words so tender and gentle, her fingers brushing lightly his cheek, her hand running circles in his back…

"I'm not a child. I'm a man! I can have a woman 'rescuing' me! The most troublesome of all the women… You can't think forever that I'm a cry baby …"

"But you can think that I'm always a troublesome woman?" she smirks…

"You are…"he manages a shy smile. "Yeah… I am…But everything is troublesome to you…"

"You are the most troublesome thing in my life…" He shakes his head against her shoulder and sighs slightly…

"Let me be more than that… I'm not them but… I already scold you all the time… And I'm pretty good at encouraging people, you know? My baby brother is the Kazegage…" She smiles.

He laughs, for the first time since his father death "you don't encourage, you nag the poor kid around"

"Hoy! Show some respect, brat! He is a Kage!" Her smile is so bright, so happy to see him laugh.

"Already scolding me, troublesome woman?"

"That's my job! Oh and by the way, we have work to do…"

"You said you came just to see me!" He lift his head of her shoulder.

"Yes, but now we could get some work done… " She laughs at his pained expression "Oh come here, Cry Baby, I'm teasing you!" She pulls his head back to her shoulder.

He sighs, leaning in her shoulder again. "Troublesome woman…"

They stay there in silence, watching the clouds drifting away and turn in to stars.

He knows he has someone to push him forward, again… She was there all this time, after all. The most troublesome woman he have ever know…


	5. Knowledge

They both are smart and observant people. So there is no surprise that they know each other better than anyone else.

He knows that she likes her coffee full of sugar, almost too sweet to be good. Her favourite food is chestnuts. Her favourite colour is purple. She has a soft spot for her brothers, even when Kankuro drives her insane.

She knows that he likes his coffee simple and black, to keep him awake. His favourite food is makerel. His favourite colour is green. He has a soft spot for Ino and Chogi, even when Ino makes him hate women.

But those are the easy things to know. Anyone close to them knows that, right?

What people don't know is that she hates cold and in winter, he always finds her buried in a pile of blankets, on the couch. He chuckles and carries her to their bed, before snuggling in with her.

He dislikes heat. Heat makes it harder to fall asleep, slows his brain and clouds his mind. In summer, she always find him lying on the floor, on the coldest side of the house, trying to sleep or to organize his thoughts. She smiles and gives him a cup of ice cold water and puts a wet washcloth in his forehead.

She hates thunderstorms. He isn't found of darkness. They found this amusing, her tempestuous temper and his jutsu colliding with their fobias.

She knows that he's a lost cause when she kisses his neck. He'll shiver and complain about lost focus, until completely melts in her arms. He knows that her sweet spot is her belly, right around her belly button. She'll arch at her touch and be completely complaint with his actions.

She knows that his insecurities lay in the physical distance between them. The risk of an arranged marriage, the 3 days journey, her bouncy personality, always on the move. So she makes sure that she tells him that she loves being with him, lying on the grasse, cuddling on the couch. She doesn't need to parade through the village, hand in hand, having dinner in crowded places. She needs him.

He knows that her insecurities have names, blond or pink hairs, blue or green eyes. Her untameable hair, tanned skin, thin lips, callous hands and rough manners. So, he tells her that she is the most beautiful woman in the world. And he means it. When she lays beside him, hair spread in his chest, soft lips slightly parted, hand caressing his skin… she is the most perfect thing in the world.

She knows all his tell-tale signs. How he closes his eyes and puts his fingers together when he is thinking, how he balls his fists and scrunches his eyes when he is trying not to cry, how he lays his head on her lap, when he has a bad day.

He knows all her moves. How she closes her eyes and touches her hair, when she is trying to calm herself, how she blinks and lowers her had when she is trying not to cry, how she snuggles in his chest, when she is tired or sad.

She knows that he loves cats, he knows that she loves all living thing. He knows that she loves wild flower and not those fancy roses that Ino always tries to sell him. She knows that he loves when she leaves little notes in random places.

She knows how to make him blush and how much he loves to be kissed on the cheeks. He knows how to make her laugh and how much she loves forehead-kisses.

Yes, they know each other better than anyone else… And yet, they are always finding something knew…


	6. Meaningless

Shikamaru punches a nearby tree, sending birds flying in every direction. He curses under his breath. He curses at the top of his lungs.

Frustration runs through his veins, blood rushes in his ears, his hands are bawled into fists, his body trembles. He blinks trying to fight a growing headache. He blinks harder trying to fight the tears that threaten to fall.

He can't cry. Not now. Not because of this. But it's infuriating. It's maddening how that woman drives him to the edge. In every direction, in every sense.

They don't argue. Yes, they bicker and batter all the time, but it's their way of playing around. They don't argue when they are playing and definitely they don't argue when things get serious. When things get serious they fight. They fight hard and ugly. Angry words escape from their lips, voices louder by the minute, hurtful things lingering between them.

He doesn't even know how it started. He was lying around, relaxing and she started nagging him. He gave her the usual "troublesome" mumble and rolled to the other side.

And then, all hell broke loose. She called lazy ass, unworthy shinobi, a shame for his clan. He ignored her insults until she pronounced that awful sentence…

"I don't know how your father and sensei could be proud of you! You don't deserve their pride!"

He knows that she doesn't mean any word of that sentence. He saw the regret in her eyes as soon as the words escaped her lips. He saw how she shivered and cover her mouth. But he lost it.

He jumped to his feet and started to scream. He called her insufferable, nagging woman. He told her that she isn't just the cruellest kunoichi in the land, she is the worst, meanest person that he ever met. He told her that he doesn't know how he tolerates her, let alone love her! She just makes herself unlovable. And that she isn't worthy enough to say his mentors' names.

He doesn't mean any of that. He doesn't even feel or think any of that. She is the most amazing woman in the world. She knows how to be sweet and gentle. She cares so much about everyone else. She deserves all the love she can get. And he knows how much he hurt her by saying otherwise.

But she drove him to the edge. She touched an open wound. Damn it! She poured alcohol in his deepest wound! And he was furious and he those words fell from his lips before his brain processed them.

He sits by the tree and drew his knees to his chest, hugging them. He feels lost and alone. He feels like when he lost Asuma and his father. His pride tells him to stay put, to not apologize. She was the one who started the fight, not him. She threw the first verbal punch.

But his aching heart screams to apologize. To fell to his knees and tell her that he didn't mean it. That she's the love of his life, the only thing that keeps him going, the reason why he works. She's the reason why he lives, Kami!

He hides his head in his arms and cries his heart out. Sobs shake his body, tears stream down his face. He shakes so much that he has to prop himself against the tree just to keep sited up.

He doesn't hear her approaching. He doesn't feel her chakra or heard that small, tentative steps. He doesn't feel her kneeling next to him. Shikamaru jumps when the blonde embraces him.

"Oh Shika… What had I done?" Her voice is low and strained. She fights back the lump in her throat. Temari pulls him as close as she could, mumbling apologies in his ear, kissing his cheeks, his hair, stroking his back.

"What do you want?" The shadow user's voice is barely audible. He pulls himself up and away from her, sitting against the tree in front of the girl.

"I… I want to apologize… There is nothing I can say to make it go away, but…"

"No, there isn't!" He interrupts her. "Do you know how much you hurt me? Do you know how much I starve their pride, their appreciation? Do you know how hard I work to make YOU proud?"

She's taken back by the bitterness in his words. Temari never seen him so angry, so hurt. She opens her mouth just to be cut short again.

"And how much I hate myself right now?" His voice isn't much more than a whisper.

"Hate yourself? Why? You should hate me. I was the one who said those awful, meaningless things! You are the best man I know. Oh hell no, you are the best human being I know! And they should be proud of you! They have to be proud of you!" She lowers her head. "I know that I'm really proud…"

"See? That's the problem!" Her head snaps in confusion. "I was an ass to you! I said everything I shouldn't and I run away! I'm here, hiding in the woods, crying like a child when I should have man up and apologize to you!" He wipes the tears that started to fall again.

"No, you don't! You were angry and hurt, you stepped back before things get out of control. Before a stupid fight that I started, ruined everything that we build! You saved us! You made me want to run after you, to throw myself in your arms, to beg for forgiveness, to say… to say that I love you, damn it!" She is screaming right now, trying to get to him, to make him understand. Tears stream down her cheeks and she doesn't even attempt to stop them.

She stands there, on her knees, face covered in tears, her fists grabbing his vest. Those big, teal eyes wide in a silent plead. She doesn't care if someone sees or hears her. She doesn't care what she'll have to do. She'll plead and beg and cry. She'll scream from the rooftop of the Hokage Building if he asks her. She needs him back. She can't live without him, knowing that it's all her fault.

Shikamaru takes a deep breath and shakes his head. A smile forms in his lips. "Troublesome woman…"

He tucks a blonde lock behind her ear and gently brushes her cheeks, before kissing her lips. First lightly, just a peck, then with urgency, with need. He kisses her lips, her cheeks. He kisses away her tears and hugs her and pulls her to his lap.

He can't stand to see her like this. The cruellest kunoichi, on her knees, begging for his forgiveness. He lays down, holding her close.

"I'm not a saint, you know? I said pretty horrible things to you too…"

"I know you didn't mean any of them. I know that you know me better than anyone. And you didn't run away. And I know that you love my nagging." She snuggles deeper in his embrace, burying her face in his chest.

He hugs her close and inhales that sweet scent that lingers in her hair. "Troublesome woman… Do you even know how much I love you?"

"Enough to deal with my ugliest side, cry baby…" She smirks…

"I'm yet to find that ugliest side… You are just beautiful… Just perfect to me…" He mumbles in her hair, sleep catching up on him, the exhaustion from the fight making his eyelids heavy, her body keeping him warm.

Temari caresses his tight until she feels his even breaths, his arms heavier and tighter around her, soft snores escaping his lips. As she drifts of to sleep, she feels more than she hears him whispering "I can't lose you…"

She smiles and whispers back "And I can't live without you…"


	7. Cold

It was a cold winter, even for Konoha standards. Snow is falling for over a week now. The wind is chilly and icicles hang from the tree branches like cold, translucent leaves.

The streets are almost empty. People take refuge in their homes or in the restaurants and tea houses. Fireplaces and heaters work full time in every single house, office and store of the village.

In the Consulate building all meetings were postponed. The meeting room was too cold and too big to use heaters and even shinobi suffer from cold, when locked in a freezing room for hours.

That doesn't mean that there is no work to do. That's why a certain lazy shinobi and a certain troublesome kunoichi are buried in piles of papework, inside her little apartment.

Shikamaru placed another cup of hot tea on the table and look at her blonde co-worker in concern. She isn't used to this kind of temperatures and looks really uncomfortable. The Suna princess is wearing a couple of sweaters and has a blanket over her shoulders and another one in her legs. She is shivering and her lips are slightly bluish, even with a heater right next to her.

"Are you okay?" The man raise an eyebrow, looking at her.

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine, why-y-y do you-u-u ask?" She's shivering so much that she stutters.

"You are blue! You must be dead cold!" Shikamaru kneels beside her and places a warm hand in her cheek.

She leans to his touch and smiles slightly. " I'll get used."

"No, you won't. You'll get sick." As on cue, she sneeks violently, almost bumping her head against Shikamaru's on the process. She shudders and shots him an angry look.

"Don't even start…" She warns him.

Shikamaru takes a deep breath. "Come on, you are freezing cold, shivering and sneezing. It'll only get worst. You'll get a fever. Don't be troublesome, please" He begs.

"So, what do you suggest?" She smirks. He's just too cute and irresistible when he's concern about her. She'll never tell him that, but is good to have someone so deeply worried about her wellbeing. She never had anyone like this, she doesn't care too much about her, to be honest. It's a nice thing, a warm fuzzy feeling inside her that makes her stomach all tingling.

"Bed." Shikamaru states simply, getting up.

"Bed? That's your suggestion, you pervert!" She sounds a little angry. "I'm too cold for that…"

"Troublesome woman… I'm saying that you need to get in bed! Under a lot of heavy blankets, maybe with a hot water bottle. To get you warm." He smirks. "I don't want your ice cold hands all over my naked body, trouble!"

"Oh now you are complaining about my hands? Last night, they didn't bother you. Actually, you seem pretty good about them…" He blushes, thinking about last night session.

"They were warm last night, woman, now you are freezing and getting sick. You need to warm up and get some rest. Come on" He gives her a hand and pulls her up. She wobbles slightly and leans against his chest for support. "See? Sick…"

"Ok, you're right. I'm feeling lousy right now. Go on, give me your orders, doctor. It's your only chance." She teases him.

He smiles gently and tucks a lock of blonde her in hear. "Not my only shot. But I'll take it!" He picks her up bridal style and carries her to the bedroom. She yelps in surprise but snuggles in his chest.

"You are warm? How come?" She is surprised. It's so cold in this village!

"I'm used to Konoha's winter. Besides I'm used to lay still for long periods of time. I guess my laziness comes handy right now…" He jokes, sitting her on the bed and going to the closet. After two years together and almost four of her living in here part time, the closet is full of clothes and he has a couple of drawers and hangers for himself.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"Looking for you pyjamas. Do you want to sleep fully clothed?" He pokes his head out of the closet, a pair of silk pyjamas in his hand. "You don't have something more…warm?"

"Pyjamas?" She laugh. "I don't have any… Well, I have warm pyjamas but I didn't brought them…"

"You didn't brough warm pyjamas? In the middle of Konoha's winter?" He sighs and heads in again.

"Well… I want to look… you know… nice… for you…" She mumbles, a pink tint colouring her cheeks.

Shikamaru comes from the closet, something made of green flannel in his hand. "You look nice in anything, but I like you a little less bluish. Bring something warm next time, please." He winks at her. "Besides, we will get rid of anything you wear, anyway. Here, now." He hands her a pair of pyjamas.

"What's this?"

"My pyjamas, trouble! Go take a warm shower and dress it. I'll make you something warm." He kisses her forehead before going to the kitchen.

She heads to the shower, hot steaming water hitting her body. She comes out feeling warm and contempt. She smiles when she puts his pyjamas. It smells like him, soap and grass and his own scent. She nuzzles at the fabric.

"Cosy enough?" He teases her from the door.

She blushes. "Enough indeed" He hands her a sweat. Her favourite sweater, that is actually his.

"Come on, your soup is getting cold."

She takes her bowl of soup and eats it happily. It's warm and tasty. Who would now that this lazy ass knows how to cook? The kunoichi looks at him, a glint in her eyes.

"What now?" He asks.

"Thanks… You can be pretty awesome, you know?"

Shikamaru smirks and gets up, hugging her from behind. "I know… You deserve it."

He leads her to the bed and tucks her in. She grabs his hand. "Come in with me? Please? You are warm…"

"Felling cuddly, hun?" He gets under the blankets and pulls her close.

"Don't ever say that to anyone! EVER! Especially my brothers!"

He kisses her head. "Nah, never. I don't want to die. And this, this is my Temar, not them. Only mine."

"Only yours? So who is this Temari of yours?"

"Cuddly and kind of gentle. And she doesn't need to be strong all the time. And troublesome… but a good kind of troublesome."

"And she is only yours? How do you know that?" She looks at him.

"Because I'm a genius…" She laughs and snuggles closer. Less than five minutes later, they are asleep.

They feel warm and contempt. The snow continues to fall outside. The village is still freezing. But in their little bubble, all is warm and cosy. Everything is just perfect…


	8. First Date

**So, I promised you that this storie will be about our favourite couple, from first date to marriage, first kiss to their son. It's time for their "firsts". Well, maybe not THAT one (let's leave that kind of story to Kakashi's favourite novels, okay?). I hope you love this as much as I do!**

* * *

A mother's instinct is something powerful. Yoshino looked over her shoulder and smiled. She knows that something is up with her boy, that's for sure. And she isn't the tiniest bit concerned about that. To be honest, she is more than happy for him. Something is up, and that "something" has blonde hair, soft teal eyes and a secret smile. Oh yes, Yoshino is an experient woman, she noticed "that" smile. The sweet smile that her husband used to talk about.

And she is surprised. Her usually smart and observant son took a very long time to notice that sweet smile. But now, he noticed and probably that is the reason why he is in his "thinking position" for so long. Her instinct tells her that.

"Shikamaru… What's the matter,son?" She asks over her shoulder.

"Ahhhhh, what a drag… Nothing, mom…" The Konoha's genious get up and stretch. "Just thinking, I guess…"

"In what, may I ask?" She can't resist. Teasing her son is one of her favourite things in the world.

"Hun? Nothing important… I'm going to work." Shikamaru kisses the woman's cheek and heads out the door. Yoshino shakes her head… That son of hers… Oh well, he'll figure everything out, eventually. He's a genious, after all…

* * *

The man walks through the village, lost in his thoughts. So the thing is… He made the move. He asked that troublesome woman on a date… The problem is... Now what?

He can't take her to a barbecue or to Ichiraku's ramen. Nothing wrong with those places, but that's what they always do when they can get away from work long enough to eat out.

He can't take her to a fancy restaurant neither. Everyone knows him in the village, the gossips will fly like wild birds if he takes her to a place like that.

He could take her to the new fair, the one build after the war. Take a walk, maybe go on a ride or two, play some silly games, eat junk food and sweets… But he'll bump into some of his friends for sure. Ino practically lives there, dragging poor Sai around and Naruto likes to take Hinata there too… He says that her eyes shine in the carrousels lights, that cheesy knucklehead… And if they bump into those two blondes the all village will know about them in a split second.

They aren't a secret. Well, not a well-hidden one, for sure. But announcing to the world doesn't seem…right. They are secluded people. They like their privacy. And there is something good about keeping this dating thing private. Yes, he thinks, keeping it between the two of them seems more intimate, more like "their thing".

So, he has a problem. Where to take that troublesome kunoichi on a first date. And besides it, it has to be something memorable. He can't have her complaining that he is an lazy ass, who took her to a lousy date. Nope, it has to be perfect.

He just needs a perfect place, with perfect food and perfect entertainment. Some place where he feels perfectly comfortable, where they can be alone without bumping into someone. Where he can look at her as long as he wants, watching her smile, looking at her eyes shining like stars…

Stars! That's it! He found the perfect place!

He turns on his heels and runs back home. He'll have to enlist his mother's help for that, but it'll worth the trouble.

* * *

It was late afternoon, almost evening. Temari shifts her wait from foot to foot and looks at the clock again. It's ridiculous. She, the Princess of Suna, the Cruelest Kunoichi is close to a nervous fit. Over a date! With that lazy ass, cry baby!

She looks again at the clock and glances at the mirror. She looks… nice, she thinks. She's not like the Konoha's girls, always with perfect make up and revealing clothes. But she looks nice. Her hair is soft and shiny for once, pulled in her usual ponytails. She bought a dark green kimono, with a teal stash, that brings out her eyes. And she knows that he likes green. She looks nice.

A soft knock on her door wakes her from her thoughts. "You took you sweet time, hun, lazy ass?" Damn, she is already getting on his nerves!

He looks at her, dumbfounded for a moment. "I'm here early, troublesome woman!" He looks at her again, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. A soft smile grazes his lips. "You look beautiful, Tem…" He whispers.

She feels her cheeks getting hot. "Thank you… You look… Perfect." He isn't wearing his jounin outfit. In black pants, grey shirt and green short-sleeved jacket, he looks absolutely perfect. The tight shirt shows off his strong muscles. She never guessed that his body is so... well-toned…

He blushes slightly. "So, are you ready to go?" He heads out of the door, motion her to follow him.

"Yes… Wait! Go where?" She asks, rushing to meet him.

"It's a surprise…" He winks at her. "You don't mind to walk for a bit, right?"

She nods and they walk through the village, side by side, in comfortable silence. Their hands brush against each other's a couple of times and they share a smirk. It's their way. And it's perfectly fine.

She becomes more curious when she finds out where they are heading. "Your home? Really? A little too soon,no?" She teases him.

"What a drag… You were in my home before…"

"Not on a date…" She whispers.

He stops on his tracks and looks at her. "We are not going to my house, troublesome woman. We are going to the my family's woods." He shakes his head. "I'm a gentleman,okay? I'm trying to the right thing."

She is baffled. He looks…hurt? "Sorry. I-I-I never did something like this. I'm sure you planed something awesome."

"You are? It's his turn to look surprised.

"Yes, I am. Planning is your thing, so I'm pretty sure that something perfect is waiting for me."

He smiles, takes her hand and pulls her to the woods. "Come on!"

Oh yes, she's sure that he has something amazing planed. What she's not expecting is that it is so…breath-taking wonderful. When they arrive the clearing, her mouth drops.

Strings of lights hung from the trees. There is a small lake nearby. Fireflies fly around. And in the centre of the clearing, a blanket and a basket.

"So… What do you think?" He asks. Now, that she is here, this seems a little…lame.

"I-I-I can't even… This is… Magnificient, Shika! You did all of this for me?" Her smile can lit up the woods and tears shine in her eyes, brighter than the stars above.

"I didn't want to take you to some restaurant and bump into someone we knew… You know? I-I want to keep this…" He hesitates…

"Between us, right? Our little secret…" She puts her hands in his shoulders and leans close. "Like I said, planning is your thing."

He looks at her, like it was the first time. She looks so happy, so free, so young. The weight of the world seems to be off of her shoulders and she looks like the young woman she's supposed to be. To him, she is the most gorgeous woman in the world.

"So… Where are we?" She asks. He leads her to the blanket and lays down, pulling her to his arms.

"My dad used to take me here, when I was little… It was kind of our place, you know…"

"And you are sharing it with me?" She looks up at him.

"Yes… I wanted that it would be our place… Just you and me and the clouds and the stars…" He caresses her cheek. "And if we stay very, very still, perhaps a couple of deers."

"You, me and the deers… In our place…" She whispers.

"Yes, our place…" He feels her cheek getting wet. "Are you okay?" Shikamaru sounds concerned.

"Better than ever…" She lays her head in his chest…

"So, why are you crying?"

She laughs. "I don't know… I'm overwhelmed, I guess… No one ever did something like this for me." She gestures around. "Something so nice, so thoughtful, so perfect…"

"So I guess I set myself for a lot of future trouble, hun?" He smirks

"Future?" She whispers…

"Yes, future. Every single day of our lives, for now on…" He whispers in her hair.

"Sounds like a great plan, Mr. Genious…"

"I thought that too, Miss Trouble."

They lay together, until the soft light chases away the stars. The deers peek from the trees and came close. In the stillness of the morning, they lay in each other's arms, feeling perfectly contempt in their own little world.

First dates aren't troublesome, after all…


	9. Dreams

She laughed so hard that she rolled down on the grass.

"A cloud? You wanted to be a cloud?"

"Yeah, why not? Just drifting away in the sky, no care in the world…"

"That's insane! A bird, I get it, but a cloud? A cloud is just water! You are insane!" She lay down again next to him again.

"Yes, clouds are just water. Happy, free, careless water…"

She looks at him. "Come on, tell me. What did you really want to be? When you were a kid. Tell me!"

He opens his eyes and looks at her. "Well… My first dream was to be a shinobi, like my dad… I used to think that he was a hero, when I was little…"

She rolls down, propping herself in her elbows to look at him. "He was… He was a truly hero. You know that, right?"

He closes his eyes again. "Yeah, but back them, I thought he was invincible. The strongest human in the world. Then I grew up and I started to notice. The bags under his eyes, the way he dragged himself back home." He smiled at the memories. "He used to always come into my room before going to sleep. Even if he got home so late that it was almost morning. He would tuck me in and kiss my head. Sometimes, he was so tired that he didn't make it to his bed and slept with me. I always woke up when he entered my room, so I laid there watching him sleep… That's when I decided that I didn't want to be a hero. I wanted to be an average ninja. Or a cloud…"

She smiled her special smile. "That's… so sweet. Do you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was an angel, wasn´t I?" She slaps him in the arm. "So… And you? What did you wanted to be?"

"Me? I always wanted to be a kunoichi…" She looks away and plays with the grass.

"Liar! Tell me! I told you…"

"How do you know it's a lie, cloud boy?"

"You are a girl. Every girl dreams big. So… what do you wanted to be?"

"That's… Ugh, you are impossible!" She rolls again and lays her head in his belly, using him as a pillow. "Don't laugh at me, okay?" He nods. "I… I wanted to be a dancer! There, you can mock me!" She blurts out, covering her eyes with her arm.

"A dancer, han?" He smiles… "That's cute…"

"I used to put one of my mom's kimonos and dance around in my room… Then I had to grow up and stop having silly dreams…"

"That's not silly. It's cute."

"Yeah but when you have a tyrant for a father and a psycho little brother, you have to grow up fast! No time to cute dreams and to twirl around in your room… Now, I only dance in those dreadful balls with the damiyos…"

He sits up, making her head fall on his lap. "Come on, get up!"

"Up? Where are we going?" He pulls her to her feet.

"Nowhere. We, my sweet lady, are going to dance." He pulls her close, holding her hand and putting the other one in his shoulder, before resting his in her lower back.

"Dance? There is no music! And we are outside!" Temari's eyes grew larger and she blushes furiously. "Do you even know how to dance?"

"We don't need music and we are in the middle of nowhere. And that is what you'll find out if you just shut up and dance with me!"

Before she has time to complain again, he starts waltzing around, making her spin lightly, twirling her, pulling her close, before bend her by her waist. They dance for a while. She feels like the world is melting around her. Like they are the only living souls in the world, just the both of them and the music playing in her head. He stoles a kiss and she giggles uncontrollably.

They spin around until they fell dizzy. Shikamaru twirls her one last time, before pulling her to his chest and falls back in the grass, taking her with him.

She tries to catch her breath. They are panting, sweaty and dishevelled. Their hair is falling from their elastic bands. And he thinks she never was so beautiful before.

"You really know how to dance! How come?" She's so surprised that her voice comes out as screech.

"My mom taught me when I was little. When Ino came to playdates she always wanted to dance, so my mom taught me." He brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "She said that she couldn't have me ruining the poor girl's feet!"

She laughs. "Your mom knows you!" Suddenly, she became serious. "So… Ino, hun?"

"Yup, she used to came in a little purple dress, with a flowy skirt and begged me to dance with her. She wanted to be a ballerina!" He looks her in the eyes and pulls her close, to whisper in her ear. "But you want to know a secret?"

"Yes…"

"She has two left feet! She can't dance to save her life! My feet became so bruised that my mom gently put a stop in the dancing thing."

"Are you kidding me, right? Ino is so… Girly…"

"Yup, girly and without any dancing bone in her body!"

She looks at him, making sure she's telling the truth. "Well, the dance lessons come out handy, right?"

"Oh yes, really handy… I really have to thank my mom for that…" He smirks at her. "I could get handy too…"

Temari's eyes grew bigger in anticipation. "Oh no, no you don't! Don't you even dare."

"Oh yes, I do." Shikamaru grins mischievously.

She tries to get up, but he already caught her in his shadow jutsu, tickling her mercilessly.

Her laughs and cries for help fill the clearance. They roll around like children.

When they stop, he looks at her. She's shining in the sunlight. Her smile so big and bright, her eyes sparkling… Yes, he used to dream to be a hero. He used to wish to be a cloud. He dreamt to be an average man, with an average life. But right now, all his dreams lay here, in this moment, under the sunset light, in this woman… She really is all his dreams come true…


	10. 10 Questions

Yesterday, I was at a birthday party of an old friend and we start asking random questions to get to know better the people in the group. So, this came to my mind. Random sillyness, sorry about that!

* * *

He chokes on his tea, before bursts out laughing. "You want, what?"

"Play with you…" She raises an eyebrow, sulking. "It's raining, we already did all of our work, there is nothing to do. Let's play…"

"Well, I can think of better games to play with you…" He smirks and crawls to her.

"Stop right now, pervert!" She puts her hands up, like she is defending herself from an attack. "Come on, it will be fun! We'll get to know each other better!"

"We know plenty about each other! Actually. I think we know almost everything about each other! What do you think you'll learn about me in this silly game?"

"I don't know… But it'll be fun! Come on…" She leans forward to kiss him. "We can play another game afterwards…" She teases.

"Fine! Let's play that… what is the name again?" He lays back on her lap again, hands behind his head.

She grins at him. "10 questions! I ask you something, you answer and you get to ask me the same question and another one. Back and forth!"

"Fine…" He sighs, closing his eyes. "Go ahead!"

"Hum…. Let me see… What were you afraid of as a child?"

He opens an eye. "Really? It's that your question?" She nods. "Okay… The dark, I guess…"

"Dark? You are a shadow user!" She looks surprised.

"Yes, and there aren't no shadows in the dark, so it's useless. And I was a kid, what were you expecting?" She shrugs her shoulders. "troublesome. So, my turn! What were you afraid of?"

"Easy… My brother…" Her eyes darkened for a moment and he regrets his question.

"Sorry, I… I didn't think…."

"No, it's fine! It's in the past!" She smiles at him. "New question!"

"Who was your first love?"

"Hun? That's stupid! You, of course! You know that!" She smacks his head.

"Outch! Take it easy, woman! So, you didn't have a teenager crush? Not even in academy?"

"I was homeschooled, idiot! Let me guess: you have a ton of 'teenager crushes', back in the academy days…"

"Woman, didn't you met ALL my academy mates? A ton of crushes? On who?"

"Well… Ino was always gravitating around you, since you were born… And Sakura is a smart girl… I thought that…"

"You thought what?" He bursts in laugh. "No, I didn't have a 'ton of crushes'. I spend my academy days running AWAY from them! You were my teenager crush, the one and the only." He kisses her.

"Cheesy! Get away from me, it's my turn!" She pushes him down. " Your most embarrassing moment!"

#That's not even a question, trouble!" She pouts. "Fine, I'll give you that… Let me think… Wetting my pants in front of Choji and Ino, I guess…"

She laughs. "Wetting your pants? Really? How old were you?"

"I don't know… Maybe 4 or 5…" He crosses his arms. "Making fun of me, hun?"

"No! That barely counts as an 'embarrassing moment'! You were just a toddler! And how on earth that happened?"

"How would I know? I was distracted, I think! And no, I wasn't 'too lazy to go to the bathroom' before you ask… Troublesome woman! And it was embarrassing! Ino told EVERYONE!" He puts an arm over his face.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I forgot Ino's lose tongue." She ruffles his ponytail. "Do you want to know what was mine?"

"Yeah…"

"When your forfeit and I couldn't stop it… I want to die right there!"

"Really? You didn't lose! Actually, you would win if I didn't forfeit…"

"I know, but I was so ashamed! I lose to a scrawny, three years younger, little boy! With a defense jutsu! I was dying inside…" Her voice trails off. "And then all hell broke loose and Gaara… You know…"

He looks at her. "And then Naruto changed Gaara's mind and Sand and Leaf became allies and you save my ass I don't even know how many times…" She smiles. "So, all is well and now I want to know… What is your security blanket?"

"Security blanket?"

"Yes, everyone has one. An old toy, a weapon, something to give you comfort…"

"Security blanket, ahn… I never think about that… Maybe… Maybe…" She hesitates for a moment.

"Maybe what? I won't laugh…"

"My mother's scarf… I kept him all this years…" She blushes.

"That's sweet…" He looks at her, adoration shining in his eyes. "My earrings."

"Your earrings, what?" She asks.

"My security blanket. My earrings. First' I wore the one my father gave me, now I were the pair I got from Asuma when we all graduate. They are my security blanket."

"That's cute, you know? Sooooo, question number five… If you have just one wish… What would you wish for?"

"A wish? I don't know… I think I have all I ever wished and more… "

"Oh come on, something! Anything!"

"A peek in the future. Just a peek to know if I'll do something right…"

"You ARE doing something right! But okay, it's a nice wish… I would wish to have a day with my mom… Just one…"

"Yeah, I can understand why…" He caresses her cheek. "Don't be sad! We are supposed to be having fun!"

"I'm fine! Ask me something!"

"Your worse petty peeve?"

"Hahahahaha that's a good one! When Kankurou goes threw my things! Yours?"

"Ino's rambling. After 5 minutes my brain goes blank!" They laugh so hard that he almost falls off the couch.

"Oh Kami, I feel the same! Okay, my turn… Did you have a teddy bear when you were kid and what happened to it?"

"Those are two questions, number 7 and 8! Teddy bear? You are insane. No, I didn't have a teddy bear, I had a plush fawn. And it's on my book shelf. And you?"

"I had a doll… I keep her in my closet…"

"So, who you love the most; Kankurou or Gaara?" He smirks.

She hits him with a pillow. "That's not fair! I can't answer that!"

"Yes, you can! I won't tell them!"

"I love them the same!" He quirks an eyebrow. "Okay, fine… Sometimes, just sometimes, I love Gaara more! He's just…cute…"

"Yeah, the Kazecage is the cutest thing on earth." She hits him again. "Ouch! Stop it!"

"You are being an idiot! Now, it's your turn! Who do you love the most: Ino or Choji?"

"Oh come on! That's easy. Everyone loves Choji! Even you!"

"Yeah, you are right… Question number 8…"

"9, question number 9!" He interrupts her.

"Party spoiler… Fine, question number 9: What would you take to a desert island?"

"Easy: you."

"Awwn, thanks, but I'm not a thing! Pick a thing!"

"Fine: a shogi board! You?"

"My fan!"

"It's a desert island! What would you do with a fan? Hunt a coconut?"

"Or an animal! What would you do with a shoji board?"

"Play! It would be perfect. A desert island, no one to nag me, I could cloud watch all day, take naps, play all I want…"

"Lazy ass… So, what's your final question?"

"Where is your favourite place on earth?"

She smiles at him and thinks for a moment… A couple of years before she would answer, with no shadow of doubt, that her favourite place on earth was Suna. But now…

"Konoha… Konoha is my favourite place on earth… And yours?"

He sits up and kisses her, pulling her down with him, until she's lying on top of him.

"My favourite place on earth?" She nods. "Wherever you are…"


	11. Drunk

Nara Shikamaru knows two things, right now. First, this must be one of the worst days of his life. Second, he is drunk out of his mind.

Usually, he doesn't drink this much. Actually, he doesn't drink at all, because he is the one dragging his wasted friends home. But right now he just needs to drink the pain away. To get numb.

Choji shows up from nowhere and puts the bottle away.

"Come on, let's get you home."

"Leave me alone. And give me that back…" His words are slurred.

The redhead raises an eyebrow in concern. "Come on, Shika, let's go to my place. You can shower and sleep it off… Come on…"

"Leave. Me. Alone!" He spats at his friend. Shikamaru knows that he's being rude and unfair, this is not Choji's fault. But he needs to be left alone.

The other man puts a hand in his shoulder. "Shikamaru, enough! Come with me. I know you are in pain. I'm in pain. Ino is in pain. We are all in pain today. We all miss him." He kneels down to face his best friend. "You made him a promise. You can look after Mirai in this state. What would she think if she sees you like this? Come on…"

"She won't see me like that, don't worry. Just let me be and go home. We can talk tomorrow."

"No way. Come on, stop it. Or I'll bring Ino here and make her drag your sorry ass home!" Choji's patient is running thin and that's a lot to say about it.

"NO! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" Shikamaru gets up and stumbles, almost falling. "What's wrong with you people? I'm a grown man, I can drink whatever I want, how much I want!"

"Yes, you are a grown man throwing a tantrum like a 5 year-old…" A tired voice says behind him.

He spins around to be met by Temari's gaze. She leans against the wall, arms crossed, an exhausted look in her face. "Tem…"

"Oh shut it!" She waves. "You can go, Choji. I take it from here…"

Choji hesitates for a moment. Leaving his friend alone, drunk and hurt is not what he had in mind. But looking at Temari's he sees the concern in her eyes, the care… and maybe… an unusual tenderness… Yes, he can go home, his friend will be fine.

He nods a goodbye and with a last concerned look, he leaves the bar.

Temari sighs… This will be a pain… "Come on, Cry Baby, let's go home…"

"No…" He fills his cup again and lifts it to his lips. A hand slaps it away.

"Enough is enough! I'm not Choji, I don't have his patience. So you have two choices: get up and come with me or I'll knock you out and drag you home. Make your choice!" He looks at her with empty eyes. "Now!"

"Go with you…" He mumbles, barely audible.

She smiles. "That's better. Come on, lean on me."

"I can walk by myself, thank you!" He gets up and almost falls again. A hand grabs his arm and pulls him to his feet.

"I'm seeing it…" She puts his arm in her shoulders and snakes an arm around his waist.

The walk home takes forever. None of them wants to talk. An awkward silence lingers between them.

She stops at her door and leans him against the wall for support.

"This is your house…"

"Very perceptive, genious…"

"You said that I need to go home… this is your home, not mine…"

"Do you want me to take you home in this state? Your mother will be so happy…" She sniggers and pushes the door open.

"Fine… Troublesome…" He stumbles inside and falls in the couch.

"Troublesome? I'm being troublesome?" She loses his temper. "You behave like an ass all day, you fight me in every single way possible, you stormed out of a meeting to get drunk, you made me look for you all over the village and I am the one being troublesome? Really?"

"Shhhh… don't scream… Sorry, okay? But don't scream…"

She inhales deeply and pinches the bridge of her nose. They won't get anywhere with him in this state. "Look… I'm too mad and too disappointed to talk right now. Come, you need a shower and get in bed…"

He lays in the couch and puts an arm over his eyes. "Fine here…"

"Yeah, this couch is amazing, I know, but you'll feel better after a shower and a nap." She pulls him to his feet.

Shikamaru mumbles something while she drags him to the bathroom. As soon as they get to the door, he makes a beeline to the toilet, barely getting there in time before throwing up. He shakily grabs the porcelain, trying to get a hold of his guts when he feels a cold washcloth in his neck and a hand in his forehead.

"Shh… It's fine. Better out than in…" She sooths him... "Take your time…"

"Tem… Please, leave me…" Without all the alcohol in his system, he's starting to feel like an idiot. He was a jerk all day to her and here she is holding his head and drawing soothing patterns in his back.

"And you fall and hit your head? Not going to happen. Shh, relax, it's not my first rodeo on this…"

He looks at her, the curiosity taking over the embarrassment. "What? Two brother, remember? They got sick, I was the 'nurse'. And Kankurou is a master in the art of getting wasted and puking all over…" She rolls her eyes and winks.

He whines at the thought, his stomach churning in protest. "Suits him…"

"Yup… Better?" He nods weakly. "Can you get up?" Another nod. "Come on, up we go.."

Temari flushes the toilet, pulls him with her, and sits him in the closed toilet lid. She turns the shower on, not to hot. Probably, a cold shower would be better, but she takes pitty of him.

"Can you undress, please?" Her voice is low and gentle and makes him feel the worst man in the world.

"Yeah, I guess…" He fumbles with his clothes and grunts.

She gently pulls down the zipper of his vest and undoes the button in his pants. "There, easier now…"

"Not a child…" He mumbles, taking off his clothes.

She laughs and helps him up and in the shower. "Nope, just drunk, hun? Lean against the wall."

He stays there, under the shower, hands in the wall, supporting his weight. And then, it's too much to handle. The alcohol, the sadness, the mourning, their fight, her care. He starts to shake and tears run down his face.

"Oh Shika…" She sighs and turns off the water. "Come here."

She holds a towel for him, but he can't look at her. The shame floods him. That's not her job. That's not how this is supposed to work. She can keep saving his ass all the time.

He slides down the wall and sits on the floor, holding his knees.

Temari's heart is broken. She is a fixer. She fixes problems, diplomatic questions, battles. But this… this she can fix and her heart hurts for him.

"Shika… Look at me…" She raises his shin a little too look in his eyes and almost flinches. The pain, the sorrow, the shame shining in them is too much to take. "It's fine, okay? I know it hurts so much that you can barely breath. I know you want to make this pain disappear. But you can't, love. It'll always be there, it's a part of you now. But it'll get better, easier. Trust me. And I'm here, okay? Just talk to me. Trust me…"

"Five years, Tem… Five years and it's the same… It feels like… like a burning sword in my heart… It hurts so much… I just… I just want to die… Just like him, just like them…"

She wraps him in the towel and holds him. "I know… I know… but you can't die… That's not an option…"

"Why? Why them and not me? I'm a waste of space… They were heroes…"

"Because it was not your time, Shika… And I'm thankful every day for that. And I know I'm being selfish, but I need you. I can lose you too… I need you…"

"No you don't… You keep saving my ass… Damn, you save me from myself!"

"And I'll save you every time. And you'll save me. And we'll hold on to each other until all of our broken pieces falls in place. We'll lean on each other until we can stand in our own feet. And we'll be there for each other even when we are being stupid jerks. That's how this works."

Shikamaru hugs her tight, hiding his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. "Thank you, Tem… And… I'm sorry…"

"Shh, forget it. It's fine, okay? Let's get you to bed." She helps him up and walks him to the bedroom, his legs a lot more stable now.

He gets dressed and in bed, while she goes in the kitchen. She comes back and hands him a cup of tea and some pills.

"Take it. It'll help. You don't want to deal with the hungover tomorrow."

He nods and obeys, handing her the empty cup.

Temari starts to leave, but a hand in her arm stops her.

"Can you… Can you stay?"

She smiles. "Of course… I'm not going anywhere."

She puts the cup in the nightstand and takes of her kimono, sliding under the cover in her undershirt and shorts.

She pulls him to her chest and runs her fingers to his hair, just the way she knows he loves.

Temari lays there, awake, pretending not to feel the hot tears soaking her short or the shaking of his body. She lays his, caressing his hair and his back, holding him as close as possibly, whispering soothing non-senses.

She lays there, awake when he finally falls asleep, his shaking breaths evening out finally. She lays there and feels her own tears silently falling. She lays here until the first morning light and the sounds of the street starts to stir him awake.

And then she sooths him to sleep again. Just another couple of hours.

She lays there all night, holding him close to her. Because that's the only way to keep him together, to keep her together. They have too many broken pieces. They are broken in too many parts. But they are alive, they are holding on to each other. And they'll mend their pieces together…


	12. Hurt

**I planed this to be writed from two points of view, but it got longer than I expected, so this will be like the "Restless/Excitment" chapters. I'll post a chapter from Shikamaru's point of view, in the near future. I hope you like! Thanks for your reviews and PM's, keep them going!**

* * *

The mission went bad. Let's face it: it went horrible! Everything and anything that could have gone wrong, happened. What a mess…

She keeps playing the scenes in her head… What could she have done? What did she do wrong? How this happened?

The plan was air tight, perfect. They had every detail covered and 15 moves in advanced. For Kami sake! The plan was made by her AND Shikamaru! It was air tight! Flawless…

Until everything went south… The rogue ninjas that they were following notice them. They were ambushed in the worst place for their team. The battle was a mess. She couldn't even use her jutsu properly in the fear of sending her own teammates flying away.

She stopped and tried to revaluate their options. She was about to shout to the team to retract when the world become blurry.

She noticed the ginormous water dragon coming in her direction a minute to late. He jumped in front of her in a split second and before she had time to react he flew away. He crushed to a mountain of stones and fell to the floor in heap, already unconscious.

Temari doesn't even know what happened next. She went in auto-pilot, finished the rogue ninjas in a couple of swifts of her fan and rushed to his side.

Next thing she knew, she was in this sterile waiting room, watching the medic-nins rushing in and out of the operation room. She feels exhausted and concerned and empty. Her throat is raw from screaming his name and pleading him to wake up. She doesn't even have tears to cry. She can't think, she feels numbed…

Hushed footsteps echo in the floor. Suddenly, she's engulfed in a tight hug, thin arms and long fingers probing her from head to toe. A gentle voice coaxing her to speak, to say something.

She shakes her head and clears her mind. For the first time, she acknowledges the concerned eyes of Ino and Chogi and makes sense of their words.

"Temari, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Ino's voice is unexpected low and serious, stripped from that bubbly tone she normally uses.

"Yeah, I guess so… I don't feel hurt or anything…"

"You should be checked…" Chogi puts an arm around her shoulders and for the first time she notices how much she is trembling.

"I-I-I don't want to go away from…" She glances at the close door.

"I can check you up. At least, to make sure you are okay" Ino makes her sit down and starts her exam. After a couple of minutes, she's satisfied with the results. "You seem fine, exhausted and chakra depleted, but nothing life threatening…"

Chogi exhales deeply. "That's good, that's good… So… Any news?"

She shakes her head… "Nothing… they pull him out of my arms and rushed him in… They didn't come out yet… I-I-I don't know nothing…"

The bestfriends share a glance. They knew it was bad, but not this bad… Temari is a strong, stoic, level-headed person and she's completely devastated. This is really bad.

"If I only…" She starts, but is cut short by Ino.

"No, don't! Don't even start! You couldn't have done nothing! Stop it, okay? That doesn't help."

She nods. The clickclack of high heels banging in the tile floor fills the room. Tsunade runs through the room, followed by Shizune and Sakura. The pinkette gives them a sympathetic glance but doesn't stop or hesitate: they head directly to the operation room.

"Oh Kami…" Chogi's strangled voice puts all their thoughts in words.

"We have to notify Yoshino…" Ino gently says.

Temari starts to shake so violently that the man pulls her to his chest, mumbling a string of soothing words. The blue-eyed kunoichi looks at her kind-of-sister-in-law and puts an arm around them. This is worst that they thought. And this is going to be a long night.

They sit there for hours. They tried to coax Temari to get a couple of hours of sleep or to eat something, but she denies these suggestions with nothing, but a glare. So they sit and wait. And wait. And wait.

With the first rays of sunlight, the door finally opens. They jump to their feet to meet the medic-nins.

If Temari looks exhausted and dishevelled, there are no words to describe how Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune look like. They are a mess, hair falling from their ponytails, hands shaking and blood stained clothes.

"He's stable… Not out of the woods but stable… For now…" Tsunade voice sounds robotic. "It's bad, have that in mind. He was completely chakra depleted, lost a large amount of blood, we had to intubate him and we lost count on how many broken bones he has. He's alive and stable. And fighting like an insane man to stay alive! He even recovered his consciousness for a bit…"

Chogi and Ino share a relieved hug, before hugging a stunned Temari.

"Can I… Can I see him? Please?"

The medic-nins share an understanding glance. "Yes… You can… He called for you when he was awake… How he managed to do that with an almost crushed trachea is beside me…" Tsunade nods.

Sakura gives her a week smile. "Go ahead, just don't let him talk in case he wakes up. He's sedated and intubated… Don't get startled… It's for his own good…"

Temari nods and enters the room, hearing the door shutting. She looks at him and falls in the chair next to his bed, tears falling down her face at last.

His face is covered in bruises, his head and body wrapped in bandages, a tube down his mouth, wires stuck to his chest, right leg in a cast… Somehow, he looks so, so small in that hospital bed…

He's a tall man. Even next to he, he looks tall. Especially when he isn't slouching or when he hoovers over her desk when she's working. She loves to look up from his arms and meet his eyes, right above her head. But now… he looks so small and fragile.

"Oh Shika… Please, please come back to me… Please…"

She plays the hours and days and months and years that they had together. Their first fight and how she blushed at being beaten by a kid. The day she saved him for the first time and how much relieved she felt to see him okay. The first time she saw him cry and how her heart skipped a beat. The days and nights of dull paperwork and how it felt better because he was working with her. The war and scared she was for him. Their first date, their first kiss, their first night together. How he always was by her side. How she rushed from Suna to be by his side.

"Oh Shika… please…."

"He's fighting… You heard Tsunade-sama. He's fighting. He's a fighter now… You made him a fighter…" Ino's whisper come from the door. "Chogi went to get Yoshino. I couldn't wait alone anymore…" She sounds apologetic.

Temari points to a chair next to hers. "I made him a fighter?..."

"Yeah… This lazy ass… He used to drive me insane, you know? But after he met you… After you became his 'co-worker', like he used to call it… He start to work hard, to complain less… He was insufferable when you had to go home… And when you came back… I never had seen him so happy and enthusiastic… He's a fighter now… He'll fight to come back to you…

"To us…" Temari stresses out.

"To us…" Ino smiles. "He's my boy too… I know him since we were born, our mothers share a room in maternity… He's my brother… I can't even imagine…" She trails off.

"I know… But like you said. He's fighting to come to us…"

"I know that me, being here like this.. it was a matter of time…" She shakes her head. "In Sai's line of work… Well, I actually pray to be here! If he… He can go on a mission and never come back. Not even a body to burry… Nothing… His entire existence gone in a puff of smoke. So, I prayed so many times to sit in a hospital room waiting for him…" She sighs. "But Shika? I never expected… I never expected to be here for him… To me he's…"

"Invincible. Untouchable. The last man standing…" Temari offers. "Yeah, I understand…" She looks at the bed for a long moment. "I lose so much… I look at him and I kept replaying scenes in my head. My mom in that casket. Kankurou in that hospital bed. Gaara lying lifeless on the floor… I can't…" She stops. "I just want to see his eyes again. Just one more time. If I have to die in the next minute, it's okay… I need to see his eyes…"

"He'll pull through. Trust me. Did you hear Tsunade? The number one lazy ninja had enough strength and will power to wake up and call you! Even with a concussion and crushed wind pipe! He'll wake up…" Temari smiles for the first time in hours…

"That's something…" She hesitates. "He's the first person since my mother to look at me and see me for who I am! To look at me with kindness and tenderness and love! And I.. I love him… I know that I don't show it all the time… But I really do… I really want to make him happy… And instead I got him here…"

"Stop! The other team members already reported! You couldn't have done nothing! He jumped. You couldn't stop him."

"He jumped to save me! He wanted an easy, average life with an average wife and he's here because he saved his not-so-average girlfriend, who insists to continue to be a kunoichi!"

"So now you were even!" Ino puts a reassuring hand in her shoulder. "You love him and he loves you. And you denied it for far too long. You are together and happy. You are good for each other. He loves you for who you are. Troublesome and strong-headed and stubborn and strong and a kunoichi. And to be honest… I couldn't dream of a better sister-in-law!"

Temari looks surprised… "Thanks…"

"We are family now! Keep that in mind." Ino stands up. "The interrogation unit needs me. I'll come back later and Chogi will be here soon. Try to relax, okay? And eat and get some sleep. I'll tell Sakura to check up on you." She winks.

"Thanks again…" Ino waves a goodbye and heads out the door.

The silence fills the room. The only sounds are the steady puffs of the ventilator and the beeping sound of the heart monitor. The sounds that tell her that he's alive, that he's fighting.

She stays there even after his mom took a sit next her. She stays there even after all the people who came and went again. She stays there even after Sakura's and Chogi's pleads to get her home, to rest, to eat.

She stood there for three days straight, taking less than 5 minutes breaks at a time, taking short naps in that plastic chair. She stood there and talked to him. She talked non-stop, she begged and plead and cried. She made promise after promise. She talked about the past and the future. She told him about their future kids and growing old together.

For three days, she kept her litany of words. Until she feels a gentle touch in her hand.

Temari's head snaps up. And for a moment she's breathless. Those eyes, those kind, tender, loving brown eyes are staring back to her… And she knows: everything is going to be ok…


	13. Pain

**The second part of "Hurt". Shikamaru's point of view during that time. I hope you like it!**

* * *

The mission went bad. Let's face it: it went horrible! Everything and anything that could have gone wrong, happened. What a mess…

He keeps playing the scenes in her head… What could he have done? What did he do wrong? How this happened?

The plan was air tight, perfect. They had every detail covered and 15 moves in advanced. For Kami sake! The plan was made by him AND Temari! It was air tight! Flawless…

Until everything went south… The rogue ninjas that they were following notice them. They were ambushed in the worst place for their team. The battle was a mess. He run out of chakra, stretching shadow tendril after shadow tendril, trying to immobilize the enemies long enough to capture them.

He was exhausted and ready to collapse. His mind was racing between the battle, the next strategy and trying to figure out where the hell she was. Her fan didn't stop for a minute, sending wind in every direction, careful enough to not send him and their team flying across the forest.

And then he saw her, standing atop of a small hill, looking around, a thoughtful look in her eyes, a frown deep in concern. He almost smiled for a minute, that cocky confident woman, standing there planning without even think twice about her own safety.

From the corner of his eye, he saw it, a massive amount of water, shaping itself to become a giant dragon, sent right into her direction. And then he stopped seeing or thinking straight.

His body moved in his own accord, launching him forward at full speed in front of her.

The water hit him straight in the chest and he flew, defenceless until he crashed in a mountain of stones.

He heard her screaming his name, just before darkness surrounded him. His last thought was thinking that it was worth it.

Shikamaru wakes up blinking, trying to figure out where he was. The first thing that he notices is the smell in the air, sterile like alcohol and rust… No, not rust, blood. The air smells heavily like blood. Probably his own, considering the sharp pain and the dizziness that he's feeling right now.

"Tem… Tem…" He can't even articulate coherent words. The pain is too much to handle, the dark unconsciousness luring him.

"Shhh, don't talk, okay? Just hung in there! Hung in there for us, Shikamaru! She's waiting for you right outside! Keep fighting!" Sakura's words sound too loud, too high-pitched, too out of the place. But they sound like the angels' voice. Temari is okay, she's waiting. She's waiting for him. He can fight this right?

"Oh Shika… Please, please come back to me… Please…"

That voice… Her voice… Where is she? She sounds so far away. It's so dark and cold in here. Darkness surrounds him. Dark as his shadows. He fights it, he tries to open his eyes. But it's too much.

Her voice sounds so distance and so muffled, but he can feel her presence, he can feel her next to him. But waking up is too hard. Like he has finally felt asleep after so many working hours… But she's here, it's okay…

"He's a fighter now… He'll fight to come back to you…"

Ino? It sounds like Ino's voice… She's here too. For how long? She's with Temari, he can feel them both. But it's too hard to wake up, it's so comfortable in this darkness, even if his body hurts everywhere…

"Wake up, Shika… Wake up for me…" He wants to wake up, but he's so, so tired and there is so, so much pain…

"I just want to see your eyes again… Just one more time…" His eyes? She wants to see his eyes? "Your kind eyes, so full of love, so full of care… no one looks at me like you… Wake up for me…"

For her? He can wake up for her, can't he? He can do anything for her, he almost died, so he can wake up, right?

"I promise you. I'll be nicer, I'll be less troublesome, I'll stop nagging you around. Please, please wake up! Just wake up! Don't die on me, Shika, please…" Die? He's not dying, he's just taking a nap… A long nap. He doesn't want to her stop her nagging, she's perfect this way, she's his perfect little troublesome woman.

"Remember the day we met? I thought you are just a lazy brat…" How could he forget? He thought that she was a troublesome woman… "And the day we kissed for the first time… I was so nervous…" And wasn't he? His stomach was doing backflips, his hands sweating, his head a mess of entangle thoughts…

"And then I saw that clearing, the tiny lights shining, the stars… It was the most perfect day of my life…" His too, she standing there, bright eyes and big smile… He fell so much in love with her in that moment… "And that first night together… We were just two clumsy kids, feeling around, trying to find our way…" He hears her light chuckle. He wants to laugh with her, that was an embarrassing moment… But he wouldn't change it for nothing in the world… They eventually learned how to do their thing…

"Your smile and my eyes… And your calm temper… But a bit more enthusiasm… Just a tiny bit… And she? She can have my smirk… But your hair! She doesn't need to live with this messy, ugly thing, like me…" Kids? She's talking about their kids? A mini-Temari with his hair? That's just wrong… Her hair is beautiful, he must tell her that more times… But not right now, right now he is so tired and his chest feels in flames with the pain…

"Oh Shika… Come on… Can you wake up for me? I can't do this alone…" She's not alone, he's right here… "You are napping for almost three days, come on lazy ass, wake up!"

Three days? How is he sleeping for three days? She's right, he should wake up… But the darkness is so heavy… Not as heavy as it was, it feels lighter when she talks, a teeny, tiny light shining far away… And the pain seems more bearable… He just need to focus in her voice, to hear her words to make that light grow…

"Wake up, baby, wake up, please!" The light seems closer, bigger. The pain seems farther, smaller… "Come on, Shika! Just open your eyes! Open those warm eyes!" He can almost touch it, so, so close…

"I love you so much! I love you more than life itself! I love you more than anything… Please, just wake up!" The light surrounds him, bright and warm and…

His eyes snap open! He sees her there, her head bowed, tears streaming down her cheek.

He tries to talk; but his mouth is dry like sand paper.

He tries to caress her cheek, but his arms feel so heavy, like they don't belong to him.

He feels her hand holding his, so he squeezes it, as hard as he can.

And Temari's head snaps up. And for a moment he's breathless. Those eyes, those strong, tender, loving teal eyes are staring back to him… And he knows: everything is going to be ok…

* * *

 **A.N: Some people stated that they could hear people talking to them, while they were in coma. They couldn't say where or when or keep track of time, but some people remember entire conversations and recognized their love ones' voices. I hope that this makes some sense.**


	14. Transformation

**Hey everyone! I'm not dead! I survived 2016! Sorry for the long wait, but here I am again, with these two love-birds! Another story that became longer than I expected, so it'll be in two chapters again, his and hers points of view. I hope you like it!**

 **Happy New Year and thanks for reading this! A little review would make me so happy! Oh, and if you have any requests for this story, tell me, ok?**

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Patience… Patience is his most recognizable virtue. Intricated plans, complex strategies, well-thought decisions. Patience is his virtue and everyone knows that.

Calm… He is calm, peaceful. He has his life displayed on his head, perfect and simple, like the clouds in the sky. He sees no point in rushing through life.

Stoic… It's a family trait, to be honest. An emotional, angry or visibly overwhelmed Nara is a rare sight. He keeps his emotions at bay, a straight face and does what it's need to be done.

Down to earth… Let's face it: if something needs to be said, he'll say it. Plain and simple and straight forward and on your face in the right moment, no matter how it hurts. It's just like ripping a band-aid, it's awful, but someone must do it.

Genius… He could live without that title, but deep down, he knows that his brains are his fate. He is a strategist, after all.

Cynic… Women are just too loud, too obnoxious, too push-over, too emotional, too troublesome.

Self-depreciated… He's just a lazy-ass coward. The number one at running away. He doesn't get why people trust him so much.

Insecure… He isn't the right fit for this job. He can't handle all this responsibility, he can't have all this lives in his hands…

Yes, he's all the above… And yet, here he is, doing the exact opposite in a daily basis…

Shikamaru exhales deeply and looks at the giant pile of paperwork in his desk. He rests his head in his palm and closes his eyes for a moment.

"Taking a nap, lazy-ass?"

"Troublesome…" He mumbles. "Just resting my eyes for a moment, woman… I'm looking at this since yesterday…"

"Yesterday?" Temari puts a cup of tea in front of him and looks at his face. He looks paler than usually, dark circles under his eyes, his warm, soft eyes seem dull. He is exhausted, she can tell.

"Yes, since yesterday…"

"Why didn't you go home or at least take a break? You look like hell…" She caresses his cheek.

"Always gentle and soft…" He leans in her touch and smiles.

"Sorry… But it's true… You must be dead tired…" She seems concerned.

"I manage… This need to be done…" He takes a sip at his tea and tries to focus on the page in front of him.

A tan hand covers the paper. "You send me home, last night… You said that we could do this today…"

"Well, you needed to rest…" He hesitates. He kind of lied to her and he knows that she's pissed at him.

"So do you…" Her voice sounds more like a growl. "You lied to me… You sent me home and continued the work without me! Care to explain?"

He sighs… "Look, trouble… I'm too tired to argue. I'm sorry, okay? I know that you hate any kind of lies, even the most innocent ones…"

"There is no such thing as an 'innocent' lie! A lie is a lie! It breaks the trust between two people. We have too much lies and secrets in our line of work, I don't need them in my personal life too!" She raises her voice and steps back.

He grabs her arm and pulls her to him. The blonde girl tries to fight him, but now he's stronger than her, even when he's tired, she can't escape without hurting him.

She falls in his lap and he hugs her by the waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "Shh, take it easy, trouble… I said I was sorry. You looked exhausted and barely awake, so I sent you home to get some rest and picked up the slack…"

She sighs, exasperated. "I know you meant well, but look at you! You are dead tired! We were supposed to do this together. We are a team!"

He smiles at her. "A great team, by the way… And we are doing this together, you just took a little break, that's all. No harm done…"

"Fine! You win! But now is your turn to take a break." She interrupts him when he tries to speak. "Nu-uh! You go take a nap and I'll take it from here. No arguing! Go! Sleep!"

"Ordering me to take a nap? That's a first, hun?" He smirks.

"Go! Couch!" She gets up and pulls him to his feet.

He wobbles for a moment and runs a hand in his face. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought…"

Temari pushes him to the couch and waits for him to lay down, gently covering him with a blanket.

"I could get used to this…" He smiles. "Come lay with me…"

"Someone has to work here, cry-baby. Sleep! I'll wake you up later."

He crosses his arms behind his head and follows her with his eyes. She sits with her back to him and dives in the pile of paperwork.

This woman is something else, he muses… After all this time, she still surprises him.

She's a brash, abrasive, aggressive, strong, smart-mouthed woman, so full of herself, so sure of herself. She sits straight, she walks with her head up high, her steps always so certain. She's always bossing someone, nagging someone, pushing someone's buttons. Usually, that someone is him…

But she's also caring, loving, gentle, sweet in her own away. She has a soft look in her eyes when she looks at him. She worries if he's on a mission or working too much. She keeps telling him to breath, that the world isn't resting on his shoulders. She smiles softly to him. She lays her hand gently on his shoulder.

Patience… Calm… Stoic… Down to earth… Genius… He is all of this… And yet, here he is, impatient and anxious when she's not around. Losing his temper when they fight or breaking down in tears in front of her (since day one, how troublesome…). Daydreaming about her, when she's sitting right in front of him. Feeling his brain numb every time she laughs.

Cynic… Self-depreciated… Insecure… Deep down, he is all of that too. But right now, he's so in love with the most troublesome woman in the world, that he can barely breath without her. Right now, he works his ass off, he pushes himself further and further, he tries harder than ever. And every time she says that he deserves his job, that he's the most capable person to do it, that he must stop moping around and get the work done, he believes in her.

This troublesome woman changed him so much, she makes him so much better…

As his eyes lost their battle to sleep, a smile dances in his lips. He glances over her one last time… This woman… So troublesome… And so perfect… In so many ways…


	15. Developments

**The second part of "Transformations", from Temari's point of view. I hope you like it! Any requests for this story? I have lots of ideas, but I would love to know your thoughts!**

Determinate… Determination is her most recognizable virtue. She pulls herself together and barges in with all she has, no matter what.

Dedicated… She is dedicated and committed with everything she does and to everyone she truly loves. Her brothers, her job, her village.

Courageous… She is fierce, a force of nature. She doesn't fear anything, she doesn't falter, she isn't a delicate flower. She is steady as a tree.

Honest… She doesn't lie. Actually, she can't lie. She maybe sounds rude or insensitive, but she's brutally honest and doesn't believe in lies and in too many secrets. Those things just mess everything and create chaos.

Intelligent… She's smart, she's capable of come up with effective plans in a minute's notice. She's a battlefield strategist, her plans are simple, fast and doable.

Hard-hearted… She must be. She lost her childhood and put herself on the bottom of her priorities. She shielded the world and concentrated on doing her work.

Self-unsure... Her brothers almost died and she couldn't do nothing to help them. Her village was on the brink of destruction. She's useless, she's weak, she's incapable.

Jealous… She envies those perfect Konoha girls, with their long hairs and pale skins and soft hands and delicate manners. She envies their carefree demeanours and bubbly personalities.

Yes, she is all the above… And yet, here she is, feeling the opposite daily.

Temari sighs deeply… It was a perfect morning, well almost early afternoon. They had finished their work yesterday and had a quiet dinner in her tiny apartment. One thing led to another (as usual) and here they are, lying together in her bed, in the middle of the day.

It was perfect. It should be perfect. And yet, she can't shake a feeling of uneasiness, something that she can't quite name, but that makes her feel restless and bothered.

"A penny for your thoughts, trouble…" She feels his low voice rumble through his chest, under her cheek, his finger tracing patterns on her lower back, his chin resting on top of her head.

"I'm not thinking, cry-baby. I'm just… resting." She lifts her gaze to look at him and gives him a soft smile.

The man raises an eyebrow. "Resting? You never rest, woman. You are always thinking on something…" He runs a finger on her cheek. "Just tell me…"

"Nothing… Just… I don't know…" She hesitates… "I don't even know how to explain what I was thinking about…"

"Hum… Just tell what was on you mind, we can figure it out together…"

"Are you happy?"

"Hun? What do you mean?"

"Are you happy? Like, right now, are you happy here, with me?"

He shifts his body and tilts her head up, to look in her eyes. "Tem, what is this all about? If I'm happy? Right now? What do I have to NOT be happy, woman? My job is done for the next few days, I'm lying here, late in the morning, after a perfect night, with an amazing woman in my arms… To me, life is absolutely wonderful right now…"

"And in the rest of the time? Life is still good?" She draws circles with her fingers, on his chest, lowering her gaze.

"Tem… Tell me what's wrong… Something isn't right with you and I can't understand what this is all about, love. Tell me, please."

He sounds so concern, so sincere, so kind that it makes her heart clench. A tear escapes from her eyes and runs down her cheek, falling in his chest.

He waits. He always waits. For her to come from Suna, for them to finish work, for her to put her thoughts together in coherent sentences.

"Am I so amazing? Am I enough for you? Are you happy now… with me?"

He lowers her on her pillow and turns on his side to face. He dries her tears with his thumb and gently kisses her head.

"Temari… Look at me. Listen what I'm going to say. Because I want you to understand it. I wanted that it sinks in that brain of yours. I'll repeat it as many times as you need it. Every day, every hour. But listen to me. Understood?"

She nods her head shakily, her eyes fixed in those chocolate brown orbs.

"I love you, okay? I don't say it many times, because… I don't know why, it's just not our thing, right? But I love you, more than anything and anyone in the world. More than life itself. When you are away is like the whole world changes. I can't breathe, or think, or work, or sleep properly. I'm annoyed and bored and moody and insufferable. And miserable. When you get in here…" He takes a deep breath and tucks a blonde lock in her ear. "When you get here everything is in its right place. When I saw you, getting to the gates it feels like I'll burst with love and happiness. So, yes, I'm happy, right here, right now with you. And you're the most amazing woman in the world and, to be honest… You are more than enough to me, I think that I'm really out of my league in this."

It's too much to her. She hides her face in his chest and cries, soft sobs escaping her lips.

"Oh, trouble… Don't do that to me. Don't cry… You're going to make me cry too… And I don't even know why are you like this… You're killing me…" He runs his hand up and down her back and cradles her head to his chest.

She finally gets a grip of herself and looks at him. "I'm not these girls that are always floating around you. I'm not pretty and delicate and sweet. My hands are full of calluses from my tensen, my skin is dry, my hair is a mess. I don't wear nice dresses and make up and perfume. I don't giggle and I'm not all bubbly and happy. I'm harsh and rude and I'm always bossing you around… Why are you with me? You could have one of them…"

He sighs. "You didn't listen to me like I told you… I don't want any of them. They are moody, unstable, borderline bipolar. One minute they are all giggles and happiness, the other they are hitting us with something. And they can be plain futile, talking about non-senses. You… You are different. You are intelligent, sarcastic, fierce. Your hands are the hands of a hard worker, your skin is sun-kissed and warm, your hair is perfect. You don't need nice dresses because your body isn't skinny and bony, and you get a perfect shade of pink on your cheeks when you're happy, and you always smell like flowers and soap and something exclusively Temari's. You don't giggle, you burst in laugh! You're not happy and bubbly all the time, but you're deep, you have something to say and you have the best sense of humour. And you are harsh and rude and bossy and troublesome, but you can be so, so kind and caring and loving and sweet. And I love it, I love every bit of you, in and out. I don't want any of them. I want you. Only you! Since day one, since even before I realize it. Get it?"

She nods and buries herself in his arms, breathing him, relishing in his warm embrace. He's perfect too, and she needs to tell him that more often… Putting up with her is hard and he does it brilliantly…

This man is something else, she muses… After all this time, he still surprises her.

He's a lazy, cynic, lethargic, cynic, stubborn man, always complaining and back-talking. He's always taking naps and gazing at stars, doing work-marathons to get more free time, doubting his abilities and driving her crazy…

But he's also caring, loving, gentle, sweet in his own away. He looks at her with so much love, so much care. He's always worried with her, even if she was in the same room as he is. He waits for her, he holds her tight, he never pushes her limits, he respects everything about her.

Determinate… Dedicated… Courageous… Honest… Intelligent… She is all of that. And yet, here she is melting in his arms, not wanting to leave, to work, to do anything. Just lay here and let him love her, let him protect her, let him care for her.

Hard-hearted… Self-unsure... Jealous… Deep down, she's all of this too. But she learned to love him with all her heart, to believe in him, to trust in him.

This lazy man changed her so much, he makes her so much better…

As her thoughts drift away, lost his touch, a smile dances in her lips. She breathes his scent… This man… So lazy… And so perfect… In so many ways…


	16. Jealous

**I'm on a roll with these two dorks. A friend requested this and it was so cute, that I couldn't resist. Jealous Shikamaru is awesome right? Oh, I'm sorry Kiba, but you are one of the few single men in the group and I can't see Shino or Lee pulling a stunt like this! I hope you like it! And stay tunned for more! I'm working on a super special chapter (did you notice the rating change in this story? Yes, there is a reason for that!).**

 **On another note: are you happy with these "dating" stories or do you want me to get them marrried? Tell me what you think about it!**

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He doesn't complain about the secrecy surrounding their relationship. It's practical. That way they have less people snooping around and less explanations to give to the Alliance.

Actually, their relationship it's kind of a diplomatic matter… Probably there is some rule about confraternization between diplomats… So, keeping low key it's the best for both villages and for their own peace of mind.

Besides, this way he doesn't have to deal with her brothers and with all his friends giving "advice" and asking weird questions.

Yes, he doesn't mind if half of the people think of them as colleagues and friends. They don't need public displays of affection or too make out in the middle of a dinner (yes, Naruto, this is for you, let the poor girl breath for a minute).

But today, something is really bothering him. It all started as another Friday night. They went to dinner with the Rookie Nine and Team Guy, as usually. She sat next to him, keeping a comfortable distance, Ino in her other side, Chogi in his other side. Kiba and his team right in front of them, the rest of the bunch around the table.

It was a nice dinner, they talk and laugh, Naruto and Sasuke teasing each other, Sakura threatening both of them, Chogi eating half of the food and Ino pestering him.

Shikamaru was feeling happy and relax. She is laughing right next to him, he could feel her body shaking with her laughs, her eyes shining in the dim light. A warm smile plays in his lips when he gets up to go get something.

And then, things started to get south. When he came back, Kiba is sittiing in his chair. A clearly drunk Kiba, is sitting in his chair, an arm thrown in the back of her chair, leaning close to talk in her ear.

Something grew in his stomach. Something dark and cold. He balls his fists and takes a couple of deep breathes. Everything is fine, they are all friends, nothing is going on.

"Kiba, may I sit in MY chair, please?" His voice sounds as neutral and bored as ever, a little emphasis on "my", but nothing else.

It's enough to raise a couple of heads. Ino and Chogi look concerned, Naruto rubs his neck sheepishly, Hinata covers her mouth, Sakura and Sasuke shake their heads.

"You snooze, you lose, man… You can't live your girl, sitting here, all alone and defenceless." He's slurred speech shows that he is a little more than drunk, he is completely wasted.

Shikamaru closes his eyes and shoves his clenched fists in his pockets. He doesn't want to make a scene, he can't make a scene. They aren't official, for all that matters, she's a single, attractive woman and Kiba is a single playboy, trying to get lucky. He can't judge him for that.

Actually, he can. He hates playboys, he hates man who use women, who treat them as objects without a second thought. He has an eyebrow always ready to be raised at Sasuke's cold demeanour towards Sakura and at Naruto's borderline dirty talk to Hinata. And he knows that they love those girls to pieces, they are just oblivious jerks sometimes.

Kiba doesn't love Temari. He just wants to get laid with an older, confident, sexy woman and brag about it all week. That thought makes his stomach churns. Temari isn't one of those girls. She's a respectful, secluded woman. She's still "untouched" and to think of another man's hands in her body makes him feel sick.

"She's not my girl and she's anything but defenceless. If I were you, I would be careful with her tensen… And her right fist, too…" Shikamaru notices that she looks really uncomfortable with the other man proximity, but that she smirks at his words. A little voice in his head screams "score" and he shakes it off, feeling childish.

An awkward silence feels the table, so he shrugs and starts to turn around. "I guess you can find your way home, by yourself Temari. I'm heading home, I had a tough week. See you later."

He knows she got the hint. They were together all week, not spending more than a couple of hours apart.

Shikamaru is only a few feet away from the restaurant, when he feels the familiar wind in the back of his neck. He smiles and turn around to look at her.

Temari is standing, her tensen in hand, her body tense and uptight, but she has a soft look in her eyes. "Smooth move in there, cry-baby!"

"What did I do now, trouble?" He rubs the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable all of the sudden.

"You threw a tantrum and walked away, leaving me alone to deal with your friends asking a million questions!" She sounds mad. "Thanks Kami for Ino, she made them to shut up and change subjects. I had to say that I was tired and leave, too! And now they are thinking that we are together!" Her last sentence comes in a scream.

"So what? We ARE together, aren't we? Or am I mistaken here? Am I waiting for you like a fool, hoping that you have some stupid mission to come back to me, when you are happy in your life? Is that it? I'm here, waiting for you, while you are in Suna, going out and flirting with other men?" He loses his temper too.

She covers the distance between them in two strikes. Her face is so close to his that he can count her teeth when she talks. "Who do you think I am? Who do you think you are talking about, Nara? I thought that you respected me, that you knew me, that you trusted in me! But now, I can see I was wrong. You think that I am a seductress, screwing around with every man I meet. Do you think that I'm taking advantage of you?" Her eyes are shooting daggers and she sounds ready to kill him.

"I didn't say that! You are the one all bother to get out in the open. If we are together, what's the problem? Let's be together and let the world think what the hell they want!" He's screaming now. "You are bothered that I show that we are a couple, but you weren't bother with Kiba getting all touchy-feely around you!"

She steps back and puts her hands in her hips. Her eyes soften and the corners of her mouth turn upwards. "You are jealous, aren't you? Oh Kami, the great, stoic, smart, always so rational Nara is jealous!" She laughs and takes a step towards him. "It's kind of cute, you know?"

Shikamaru's face turns bright red and he feels so hot that he's afraid to boil him blood. "I… I… I'm not jealous!" He stutters. "Troublesome…"

"Yes, you are. You got jealous of Kiba." He turns his back to her and stars walking again. "Oh come on, don't be like that. My house is the other way…"

"I'm going to my house. This way."

"Oh come on, Shika." She runs to him and grabs his arm. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have got mad with you, we have nothing to hide. It's just…. Weird to come out in public like this… I don't like people snooping in my life, you know that."

"I know, I'm sorry too, okay? I just… lost my temper in there…" He shakes his head and looks down. "He was so close… I never got so close to you in public…"

"That's because you know me and you respect me. You know how that makes me feel uncomfortable…" She lifts his head. "I was feeling so bad with him so close to me… It felt wrong, having anyone like that, other than you. I don't like people in my space…"

"Other than me?" He looks at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know that, right?" He shakes his head. "Nara, you're pretty dumb to be a genius. You are the only one allowed to touch me like that. I keep everyone at an arm's distance. Except you and my brother, and they don't count!"

"You didn't shake him off…"

"Oh, Shikamaru, come on, stop it! I was frozen! For the first time in ages, I didn't know what to do. I'm thankful that you showed up a threw your little tantrum, because I was getting insane there…"

"So… I saved you…" He smirks.

"Yeah, yeah, you saved me, like a knight in shining armour! I think it's 3 to 1, right? I'm still winning…"

He laughs. "3 to 2, trouble! But yes, you're still winning…" He rests his forehead against hers. "When I saw him there, with his hand on you, I couldn't think straight. I'm sorry, but… It was too much…"

"It's fine, it's cute, to be honest. Just don't do that all the time. Well, you won't need it, now everyone knows that I'm in a relationship with a crazy, jealous boyfriend."

He moans, getting red again. "You won't live it down anytime soon, right?" She smiles and shakes her head. "What a drag…"

Temari laughs and gives him a quick kiss. "Nope, too good to forget, baby! Let's go home!"

She drags him to her place. That night, she doesn't let go of him, even in her sleep. A silent vow of love and thrust and respect.

And yes… 30 years and a kid later, she still remembers "that time with Kiba". Troublesome…


	17. First Time

**Okay guys! I'm back! If you are under 18, don't read this! I hope not to shock anyone or give you nosebleeds. I work hard on this one and I'm so in love with it! Read and review, pleaaaseeeeeee!**

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It's not like he never thought about it. Hell, he thinks about it all the time. He's just too rational and too respectful to attempt anything that she doesn't want. She would probably kill him if he tried… But yes, he thinks about it. And he's sure that she thinks about it too.

One day, they are lying in her couch, resting and he's running his fingers up and down her back. His hand slips a little more downwards, his fingers brushing her lower back, her hip. She tenses up immediately, shifting her body uncomfortably.

He stops, resting his hand in her upper back again. "Sorry…"

"No, it's… fine… I'm just not used to it, that's all…" She whispers.

"I won't do anything that you aren't ready for, you know that, right?"

"I know… It's just… I feel like I'm shutting you out…" She fells silence for a minute. "You think about it, don't you?"

He chuckles, understanding perfectly what she's talking about. "I'm a man, of course I think about it. But it's not an excuse to force you to do anything. I'll wait, as long as you need…"

She mumbles some soft thanks, relaxing again in his arms, his words playing in her head… She thinks about it, too. She's not dead or oblivious. She sees the way his body moves, how his muscles stretch his shirts, how his hips bones peek when he stretches… She wants it too, she is just… not ready.

They don't talk about it again. The work and a silent agreement gets in between this talk. But she thinks about it all the time. And she realizes that, after this mission, she won't come back for a month or so. It will be the longest time they would ever be apart since they're dating. It would be nice to leave in a sweet note, to leave with something great to think about…

So, a couple of days before she heads back to Suna, she invites him for dinner in her apartment. She doesn't know a thing about what she's about to do, but she'll do it, she'll find out along the way.

She opens the door when he knocks, looking as casual as ever, feeling her stomach full of butterflies. She closes the door slowly and gets closer to him. A lot closer than usually.

She traces his jawline with her finger and kisses him. She tries to put all the love, all the passion, all the want in this kiss. She nibbles his lower lip and lets her tongue explore every bit of his mouth, having a wrestling match with his own.

He pulls apart, panting, his eyes wide open. "Tem… What are you doing?"

"You're the genius in here, what do you think I am doing?" She doesn't wait for an answer, pulling him with her to the bedroom. "Just… Go with the flow."

The flow? His brain is a wreck, he can think straight. He wants her desperately, his body playing tricks on him, resisting his tries to keep himself together. Damn hormones and body reflexes…

She closes her bedroom door and shoves him against it. He put his hands up. "Tem… Are you sure?"

She kisses him again and starts to unbutton his jacket, letting it slide to the floor. "Shhh, just bear with me, okay? Stop overthinking this…"

It's all the answer he needs. He leans forward and kisses her again and again. His clumsy fingers struggle with her stash, he's pretty sure that he jabbed her ribs, trying to unknotting it.

He pushes her softly to the bed, kneeling on it, his knees resting in the sides of her hips. They are so close, their bodies touching, their lips still locked.

She unbuttons his pants and slides her hands up his shirt, feeling his chest, his belly, his muscles moving slowly. He takes his shirt off in one motion, putting his hands on her kimono, sliding it off her shoulders.

Shikamaru slowly kisses her lips, her face, down her neck, her shoulder, taking his time, feeling her warm skin in his mouth, exploring every bit of her.

She moans and arches under him, electricity rushing through her body. She takes of his elastic band, dugs her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, pulling his face to her lips again, mimicking his moves, taking her turn this time.

She notices how he shivers and groans when she reaches his neck, nibbling softly, sucking his skin, taking care to not leave marks.

He stands and she sits up, taking him off his pants, taking off every piece of clothing standing between her and his body. He blushes a soft shade of pink, before unfastening her bra, following her lead.

They hug each other for a moment, her face hidden in his chest, his own face buried in her hair, concealing their red cheeks and embarrassed looks.

He untied her hair and gently shoved her back in bed.

Neither of them knows what to do, they just keep going, without planning, without thinking, their bodies searching and founding their away, their mouths and hands all over, their teeth shocking a couple of times, their fingers tickling the wrong spot, making them laugh.

They took their time, until they lost themselves in each other bodies, his eyes never parting from hers. He feels his body buckle, falling heavily on top of her, with a last deep exhale of her name.

He rests his head in the crook of her neck before realizing what just happened. He groans a soft "sorry" in her ear, making her laugh.

She pulls his head up and looks at him. "I'm fine, it was wonderful…"

"No, you aren't… I'm so sorry…" He blushes the deepest shade of red she's ever seen. "Tell me what to do…"

She laughs again and guides his hand through her body, showing him all the curves, all the secrets, opening up to him like she never did before… Soft sighs escape her lips, her toes curls in the sheets, her nails digg in his back. As he touches the right places, she whispers his name, melting under his hand.

She opens her eyes to mouth him a soft "thank you", pulling him down in her arms.

She opens her eyes a few moments after, looking into his intense stare. She smiles a little smile and blushes, pulling him down in her arms.

They lie there for a moment, …, revelling in the feeling of their bodies and their love before he rolls down, to hug her in his chest.

Temari looks up to him, her eyes shining, a soft, exhausted smile in her face. He smiles back, his eyes warm and kind, his hand up and down her back.

He gently pulls the sheet, covering her, shielding her body, in such a sweet, respectful gesture.

"How do you feel, love?"

"Thoroughly loved…" She whispers. "Doesn't feel like a drag, hun, lazy-ass?" She smirks.

He laughs and pulls her close. "Not a drag, at all, trouble… Not a drag, at all…"

They fall asleep together, the first night of many, a long path ahead of them, the most


	18. Little Things

**Random ideas that I had in my notebook. Just silly fluffiness after those late chapters. I hope you like it and as usual: if you have any request, review or PM me. Don't let me drown in my crazy ideas!**

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It is all about the little things. The things that go almost unnoticed. The simple words, the meek gestures. An outsider may disregard those things, but to them they are the fundamental basis, the foundations of what they are as a couple.

They never use suffixes or endearments, like their friends. They never use "chan" or "kun" or some sweet pet name.

To be honest, they don't use it with anyone. They are too practical and straight-forward.

She scolded him once for treating the Hokage by his name. He asked her if she calls "Lord Kazekage" to her baby brother. It was the end of it.

So, from the start they were just "Temari" and "Shikamaru". The first time he called her "troublesome woman", she almost killed him. The first time she called him "cry-baby", his brain went blank for a full minute. Soon after, they just refer to each other by "woman" or "trouble" and by "cry-baby" or "lazy ass". What started as a tease, ended up being the sweetest names.

Surprisingly, she was the first one to something resembling to an endearment. It was the first anniversary after the war and she knew he would be devastated. She asked for a mission in Konoha just to be with him. It took her a couple of hours to find him, lying in a hidden clearance, smoking cigarette after cigarette. She laid down next to me, watching the clouds in a comfortable silence, until she couldn't take it anymore.

"For Kami sake! Stop smoking! You are killing yourself with that thing!"

"I won't die from old age, anyway, woman…" He retorted.

She turned to him so fast, that his head spinned. "Don't ever say that again, baby! Please!"

The girl blushed furiously at her slip, he snickered. "Baby?"

"Short for cry-baby…" She stuttered.

"Yeah, right… I guess my laziness is rubbing out on you…"

They never talked about it again, but she uses it every time she wants to comfort him or to get his attention when he's too out of his mind to listen to her.

He called her "love" in their first date. Just that, "love", like there isn't another thing or person in the world for him to "love". He only uses it in the most intimate moments, when she's most relaxed or vulnerable. Just to remember her that there isn't another one for him.

They never use unnecessary words. They never spent hours and hours talking non-stop about something. Simple, direct, concise words are the best to talk about everything.

Simple, direct, concise words aren't the best to talk about feelings. So, they rarely talk about their feelings.

But they know. They know each other like the palms of their hands. They just know. They just know when the other is upset, angry, sad, exhausted. And they know what they feel about each other.

He's better with the words. It's easier for him to say "I love you", from time to time. It's easier for him to compliment her. Her brains, her work, her look.

She doesn't like words. Words are complicated and empty. Words are meaningless. She hardly says that she loves him or compliments him in a direct manner. She beats around the bushes. She throws a couple of sarcastic remarks. But she smiles kindly. Her eyes are soft. And she can write. She writes the most beautiful words. Because words can be meaningless, until they are put on paper. Then, there is a solid proof of those words.

They never go on traditional dates. They don't go to fancy restaurants, with candle lighted tables and mile long menus. They don't go to the latest bar or disco. They don't do things like that.

But he cooked to her, whenever she came to the village. After she moved to Konoha, he still cooks to her, every week. And when a week is particularly hard, she always finds a box of sweet chestnuts in her bedside table. It never ceases to make her smile.

She knows his favourite foods and she learned how to cook. In their first official anniversary, she overcome her embarrassment and asked his mom how to cook his favourite dish. He laughed harder than ever when she told him.

And they dance in the middle of the woods, without music. Or barefoot, in her living room, music blasting and bumping in the coffee table, until they fall in the couch, laughing their hearts out, without a care in the world.

Oh, and anniversaries? They don't do those, too. They don't even know when their true anniversary is. Except for their wedding, of course.

So, they celebrate the day he asked her on a date. Or the day "she saved his ass again", like she loves to say. And they had to find that date on a mission report.

But he knows the exact day they kissed for the first time. He remembers the exact day he took her on a date. The day of their first time together.

And she knows the exact date of their match on the Chunin Exam. She remembers the date when he was nominated as her chaperon. The day they started working together.

It's not the big, unforgettable, life changing things. It's the little ones. The way her eyes lit when she laughs hard or the how he smiles when she sees her entering the room. The little notes he finds in his pocket before a mission and the little chocolate she founds on top of a pile of paper work. The way she wakes him, whispering "lazy-ass" in his ear and how he sighs "trouble" when they are falling asleep.

So, to an outsider, all these things seem too little to be remembered. To them, they are their whole world…


	19. Moody

**Hi, guys! I'm back! This was a Guest request (Hello, Guest!). I hope you all like it! If you have any requests just review or pop me a PM! I'm here to make your wishes come true!**

* * *

Temari is a woman of many flaws. She knows every one of them and she tries hard to overcome them. But she knows that she isn't a hot-headed person… Well, at least most of the time.

She doesn't rush into battle without a plan, she doesn't jump to conclusion, she reads every single line of those dreaded official documents. She keeps her emotions under control, she isn't one of those women who start screaming and shouting over nothing or that are carried by their feelings instead of their brains.

Yes, Temari is a woman with many flaws, but she's also a very level-headed controlled woman.

So, this feeling is foreign to her. It's like a cold stone in the bottom of her stomach, a nauseating thing. She can't place it correctly and it's keeping her to think straight and to do her job. It's frustrating and annoying.

"Hoy! Tem, are you with me?" His voice brings her back to earth.

"What?" She snaps at him, her voice too hard and cold to be fair to him. "What do you want?"

"Damn, trouble… What did I do?" He sounds a little sad. "Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm not…" She sighs. "Just tired… It's a long journey, you know?"

"Liar…" He shakes his head. "What's the matter?"

She looks at him for the first time since they arrived at her house. She's not mad at him, not consciously, at least. He didn't do nothing wrong.

As usually, he picked her up at the gates and they went to the Hokage's office. It was like all the previous times. Until Shikamaru went to pick up Mirai at the Academy… After that, her mood is dropping by the minute and she doesn't even know why…

"Tem… Come here, please." There he is, slumped in her couch, his arms resting on the back pillows. He curls a finger at her and smirks, but he can't hide the concerned look in his eyes.

She sits next to him and he drags her down, trapping her between the pillows and his body. "What's up, woman? And don't say it's nothing, please…"

She sighs again and nestles under his arm. "I don't know… I'm…moody, I guess… Sorry…"

"Moody? You're not the moody type… You are more the 'mess with me and I'll kill you painfully' type…" He chuckles. "Talk to me…"

"I told you!" Her voice gets louder and she struggles to get up. "I. Don't. Know! Why can't you leave me alone?" She sits up in the couch, crossing her arms and glaring at the wall.

"Do you really want me to leave?" He props himself in his arms to look at her. "I can go home, if you want… But I thought… I thought that we'll spend the day together, as usually…"

She doesn't dare to look at him. The tone in his voice tells her that he's hurt, really hurt. He has a tough skin to put up with her, but he isn't as aloof as he seems. Being away from each other really pains him and not being with her when she arrives is the worst thing she can do to him.

Temari exhales and looks down. His eyes are shinny and watery and he's pouting. "No, cry-baby, I don't want you to leave…" She lays down again. "But stop pouting! It's ridiculous…"

"I don't pout! I sulk, thank you very much!" He nuzzles her hair. "So, why are you mad? It's because I went to pick Mirai from the Academy? It just took half an hour… I thought you liked her…" He sounds so disappointed that it breaks her heart.

"Of course, not! I love Mirai! She's the sweetest thing ever! And you look so cute together! I don't mind to be with her! Actually, you should bring her more times…"

"Right! And she'll tell every one that we are together…"

"She's smart… She won't tell if you ask her."

"She's smart, but she's six! And yes, she'll tell because she can't keep a secret to save her life, poor thing…"

"Okay, maybe you're right… But I love her, she's smart and cute and fierce…"

"She's a lot of trouble, that's what she is…" He sighs… "So, if that isn't the problem, why are you mad at me since we came back?"

"I don't know… I really don't… I'm just… I don't know…" He hums softly and runs a hand in her arm, encouraging her to talk. "Who is she?"

"Who? What? What are you talking about? Who is Mirai? My goddaughter? Asuma's daughter? Tiny, black hair, crimson eyes, big smile that makes me look like an idiot?"

Temari laughs at the last remark. "Not her, you jerk! The woman you were talking in the Academy…" She trails off.

"The woman?... Oh, her sensei? You know her, she graduated in the last Chunin Exams… She beat that guy from the Mist… Why are you asking?"

"You know a lot about her… You seemed so close…"

"I need to know these things, I'm the one handling the Chunin Exams, remember? I think we worked on that for a couple of months… with a break here and there…" He winks at her. "And she's her sensei… I like to talk to her, to know how Mirai is doing…"

"She's pretty... Really pretty…" Temari mumbles without thinking.

"Is she? I didn't notice that…" Shikamaru laughs. "Temari, are you jealous?"

"What? No, I am not!" She sits up straight and glares down at him.

"Oh yes, you are! The great Princess of Suna, the Cruelest Kunoichi is jealous of a little Chunin instructor!" He laughs again until she hits him with a pillow.

"Stop it! You are making fun of me…"

"And now, you're the one pouting…" He looks at her and his smile immediately dies on his face. She looks hurt, her eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh Tem, come on… Come here, please."

He pulls her to his arms again and holds her close. "I'm not jealous…" She whispers half-heartily.

"Fine, you are not jealous." He strokes her back. "You don't have to be, love…"

"She's gorgeous, she dresses nicely, she was hitting on you and you are with her everyday… I could be jealous… And with reason for it…"

He muffles a snicker. "I didn't notice if she is pretty, I just know that she's a competent and kind instructor for the kids. I don't care about clothes, unless if it's to take YOURS off." She hits his arm. "She doesn't know we are together and I didn't even notice that she was hitting on me. And, for the record, the only person I wanted to be every single day is you. So, no, you couldn't be jealous because there is absolutely no reason for that…"

"Cheesy… You are so cheesy, lazy-ass." She snuggles deeper in his embrace. "But okay, I'll take that… Sorry… I know I'm insufferable…"

"Troublesome, you are troublesome…" He holds her tighter. "But you are MY troublesome woman… And I wouldn't exchange you for anyone else…"

"I told you… you are so cheesy…"

"And you are jealous… So, shut up and let me love you in peace!"

"You are the jealous one in this relationship!"

"Yes, I am and I don't care! You are too good for any other guy!" She laughs. "And you, my dear, are jealous too, and that's okay. Actually, its's pretty cute…"

"I'm not cute! Don't you dare to say that again!" She pounds his chest lightly.

"Yeah, yeah… you are cruel…and troublesome…"

She settles in his arms, sighing in contempt… Maybe she's a little jealous. Maybe the rock that was in her stomach was just that. But he has a way to dissolve it, to blow away all of her troubles… And that… That is kind of cute… Not that she'll ever say it out loud…


	20. Baby Talk

It was a dark afternoon. One of those grey days, when the windows shake with the wind and heavy rain soaks the floor.

For him, those are the worst days. There aren't clouds drifting and the grass will be wet for days. Those days are troublesome.

For her, those are the most amazing days. Everything looks greener and vibrant afterwards, like the water brings everything to life.

She sits on the window seal and sighs contently, a cup of tea in her hand, her feet dangling.

"You love it, don't you?" He asks, embracing her. "The rain, I mean."

"For someone who lived in the middle of the desert all of her life, rain is an amazing thing…" She smiles at him. "Rain is life, literally… And is soothing… At least, to me…"

"Not all the Suna people like the rain?"

"Oh, the people love the rain! It means that the plants will grow and we will have enough food, without having to import it…" She laughs. "My brothers… not so much! Apparently, the rain ruins their hair."

Shikamaru laughs hard. "Really? And your brother is always teasing me about MY hair!"

"Oh, no, no, no! Don't go teasing him, too! I'll not stand in the middle of your hair battle! He's annoying enough without you pestering him!"

"I don't pester people! I'll just pay him back!"

"You are impossible... Stop it! Learn to share your hair products!"

"Kankurou needs to learn how to share other… things…"

"Like what?" She turns around to look at him, raising her eyebrow.

"You…" He rests his forehead against hers and smiles.

Temari rolls her eyes. "I'm not a thing… And I don't belong to either of you…"

"I know that… He's the one who keeps saying that I stole you!"

"Meh… Brothers… He'll get over it, eventually." She kisses him. "I don't mind being stolen by you…"

"Oh, really? I thought that you came willingly…"

"More than willingly…" She winks and turns back to the window

They fall silent for a moment, intertwined in each other's arms, watching the rain falling.

"How is it? Having siblings?" He asks.

"Hum? I don't know… To me it's… normal, I guess… I can't even remember not having them…" She smiles fondly. "My first real memory is from the day Kankurou was born… I thought he was some kind of doll…" She laughs. "Actually, it suits him!"

"It must be nice… Having someone to share everything…"

"Yeah… Sometimes… Other times, I just want to throw them out of the window…" She sighs. "I was more like a mother than a sister to them… I was the one putting them to bed, comforting Kankurou, hiding him when Gaara… Well… It's better now… We are closer than ever… Sometimes, too close!"

"Too close?"

"Gaara offered me relationship advice a couple of times." He doubles over, laughing. "Yeah, yeah… Keep laughing! He says that if you ever break my heart, you'll have to face his sand!"

Shikamaru immediately stops laughing. "Don't joke with that!"

"Oh, now you're serious? Chicken!"

"I'll keep close to Naruto, just in case! He can deal with your baby brother's rage!"

"Coward!" She punches his arm. "Why did you ask?"

"Hum?"

"Why did you ask about having siblings?"

"I never had one… Well, I guess that Choji and Ino are kind of my brother and sister, but it's not the same…"

"Did you want a brother?... Or a sister?"

"Nah… I don't know… I never really wanted anything, to be honest. Whatever life gave me, it was fine to me… So, I never dwell on those things…"

"You were born lazy! Even to dream!"

"I dream a lot, thank you very much! I just don't waste time dwell on that... " He smiles. "Dreams rarely come true…"

"So, you give up on your dream?" She looks stunned.

"Which one? I just tell you that I dream a lot…" He flickers her nose. "People say that I spend half of my life sleeping, so I have a lot of time to dream…"

"Haha, very funny." She slaps his hand. "The one you told me, when we started to talk… You know: wife, two kids, a girl and a boy, a nice career…"

"Oh, that dream…" He smirks. "That dream was blown away a long time ago…"

"Hun? How come?" Her eyes darken a bit. "You give up on a family?"

He laughs at her pout. "Really? I told you that I wanted an average life, with an average career and an average wife… I gave up on that, the minute I fell in love with you, trouble!"

"Why? You think that I can't be a mother?" She sounds angry.

"Shhh, take it easy, woman… You will be the best mother. Just not average…"

"And that means…"

"That means that you are anything, but average! It was a compliment, troublesome woman!"

"Oh… okay… Thanks, I guess…" She blushes and looks down. "So, a girl and a boy… That is still the plan?"

"Maybe… Or just one… Or a dozen…" He smirks at her shocked face. "Fine, less than a dozen!"

"I want to keep working… I'm not retiring because I have kids…"

"I wasn't expecting that! One of us can stay on the village, when the other is away… And we have family, they'll help… my mother and the others…"

"I know… I just don't want to… Crush your dream…"

"You make me dream more, not less…" He hugs her closer. "You never wanted children?"

"Me? Yeah, I want to be a mother… Someday, I mean…"

"Boy or girl? Or more than one?"

"Boy…" Temari smiles softly. "I want a boy…"

"Why? I thought you wanted a mini-you, to gang up against me!"

"Nah, I want a boy… Just like you…" Her cheeks turn pink. "It's silly, but when I imagine us, together, in the future.. It's always a boy, with your hair and demeanour... "

He turns her around to look at her. "That's sweet, you know?" He kisses her. "I hope he has your eyes, though… I hope our son has that fire that you have, deep down in your eyes…"

"So, you changed your mind? Just a boy is fine with you?" She teases.

He shrugs. "I don't care… as long as it's our kid, I'm fine." He kisses her neck. "And we can practice a little… practice makes perfection, they say…"

She closes her eyes and leans in his touch, untying his hair. "Oh, they do?"

"Hum, hum… It's what they say… We have to see for ourselves, right?"

She giggles and loses her train of thought. Yes, practice makes perfection… And this future kid is bond to be perfect...


	21. Moving

**I'm back! After all this time, I'm back to my favourite power couple! Sorry for the long wait.**

 **This probably willhave more chapters, so I'll give you a little something soon. I really want to see that talk between Shika and the in-laws!**

 **I hope you like it!**

* * *

Shikamaru was just enjoying a rare carefree day, lying on his favourite spot, on his family's grounds, watching clouds, not a care in the world.

He knows that this blissful peace will be short-lived. Nowadays, he doesn't get more than a couple of hours to himself. Between the work and the troublesome woman of his life, he's always busy.

Said woman, right now, is somewhere in the village with the girls, on a secret mission. He cringes at the thought. Whatever they are doing, scares the life out of him… Those women…

"Hey, Cry Baby!" The cheerful greeting pulls him out of his rest. He feels her lying next to him and resting his head on his legs.

"Hmm… Troublesome woman…" The jounin answers without opening his eyes.

"I have news…" Is she...chanting? Weird… "Do you want to hear them?"

"Do I? You're the one delivering them, so you know if I want to know them or not…" He sits up to look at her and lights up a cigarette.

Temari frowns. Actually, she pouts, but he'll never tell her that, she would kill him! "You are no fun! Can't you be a little more enthusiastic?"

"I don't even know they are good or bad news, how can I be enthusiastic about them?" He pokes the crease between her eyebrows. "Come on, tell me… You were out and about all day with the girls… Something is up…"

"Awwwn, did you miss me?" She teases. "How cute!"

"Not much… It's nice to enjoy the peace and quiet without a troublesome woman nagging me around…" He laughs at her. "Especially, a troublesome woman who came back and didn't even kiss me…"

"You are so lame… And you smell like smoke. No kisses for you!"

He huffs in annoyance. "You are impossible…" Shikamaru throws away the cigarette and looks at her. "So, are you telling me or not?"

"Hum… To tell or not to tell? I don't know if you deserve to know…"

"Oh come on, now I'm curious! Don't be cruel!"

"You know that I'm known for being the Cruelest Kunoichi on earth…" She laughs at his expression. "Oh don't pout… I have a soft spot for it!"

"Good to hear that… It'll come in handy!"

"Hey! Don't use my weaknesses against me! It's not fair!" She hits him in the arm.

"I'm a strategist, I need to use my enemy's weaknesses…"

"So, now I'm the enemy? Smooth move, Shika…"  
"You're impossible, woman! Just tell me the news, please…" He lights another cigarette. Old habits...

"Since you used your manners so nicely…" She smirks at him. "I got a house!"

"You what?" He coughs so hard that the cigarette flies out of his mouth. "When? Where? How? Why?"

"I got a house. Today. Close to the consulate. With my money. To move to Konoha." She answers in that tone that women reserve for children.

"But, but… You didn't even tell me that you are looking for a house in here… That you want to move…"

"I was trying to surprise you, but maybe I was wrong…" She sits to look at him, sounding hurt. "I thought that the distance was hard on you, so… But it seems that you don't want me to move in…"

"What? Are you insane?" He pulls her close and kisses her. "The distance kills me! I… I'm surprised… You love Suna, you love your brothers, you are happy there… I couldn't ask you to move to Konoha and leave everything and everyone behind… It would be unfair… I think that maybe, someday, when you want it, I would move to your village, not the other way around…"

"You… You would do it for me? Leaving your village, your friends, your mother, for me?"

"Of course, it's only logic… I knew what I was getting when I started a relationship with you. You are a diplomat, the Suna princess, the right-hand woman of the Kazecage. And you are an independent, strong-headed and self-sufficient woman. I couldn't just go and tell you to move in here!"

"That's… That's… So sweet…" Her eyes shine with tears. "Actually, that's the sweetest, most caring thing that anyone ever told me!"

"That's probably because you deal with a bunch of selfish brutes!" He jokes.

"Classy… So, classy…"

"Sooooo, when are you going back to Suna? I need to take those days off…"

"In the end of the month… Why? Are you coming with me?"

"Of course… I need to help you bring your stuff here… And you need to introduce me to your brothers…"

"My brothers met you ages ago… Why are you all ceremonial?"

"I was raise to be a gentleman. You can't move to Konoha without a proper meeting with your brothers! They would kill me and this would turn into a diplomatic mess!"

Temari laughs so hard that she rolls on the grass, tears falling down her face.

"Oh Kami, you kill me! You just… You kill me!"

"What? Why?"

"You are here, standing like a deer in the headlights, all flustered, like this is something we never talked about. I told you a million times that I wanted to live in here, to be close the consulate, to be close to the team organizing the Chunin Exams, to be close to you. I never, ever thought that you would be the one moving to Suna! That doesn't even makes sense! You don't work there, you don't have any connections there and you hate the heat…"

"But your family?..."

"So what? I spent half of my time coming and going since I was 15! They can live without me, they'll survive… And I'll go to Suna once a month. Besides, I spent most of my time in here, I have you, my career, my friends. Konoha is my home. I'm happy here. I'm not doing this just for your sake, like a big, stupid, romantic gesture. I'm doing this for me. I'm more than my family, my heritage, my village. I'll always be Subaku no Temari, the cruelest kunoichi, the daughter and the sister of two Kazecages. But here…"

She falls silent and looks down, a dark shadow in her eyes, a striking contrast with her previous happy and light mood.

Shikamaru reaches and pulls her close, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"But here…"He prompts her.

She nuzzles his chest. "But here I'm just me, Temari. A diplomat, a counselor, part of a team. I have friends, I go out, I go shopping, I hear the gossips, I share the stories, I have people to talk about a bad day at work. I have you…"

"You'll have me wherever you are. You don't need to change your life for me…"

"I'm not… But… Aren't you happy? Was I stupid trying to surprise you like this?" She looks up. "Is it too much pressure? It's a big commitment and..."

"Woman… For a woman so smart, sometimes you are completely oblivious." He turns her to look her straight in the eyes. "This, you moving here, being here 24/7, without having to let you go and not know when you'll come back… This is my dream since I was 15! And I didn't even know that by then! I can't thank you enough for that!"

"So, it's okay for you…"

"It's more than okay! It's my dream come true! Pressure? Commitment? Woman, I would marry you right here and now, if I could!"

She laughs again. "Don't be cheesy! I'm moving, not marrying you… Yet!"

He smirks. "Oh you will… Soon enough…"

"Shush, tacky Cry Baby…"

"I'm not crying!"

"Oh you will… Soon enough…"

Shikamaru kisses her deeply. This is his dream coming true. This is everything he ever wanted. No more goodbyes, no more long absences, no more missing her. She's something else, this woman…

Temari returns the kiss. This is her dream, too. Being just herself, living her life surrounded by friends, with the man that she loves, doing the job that she loves, living her past behind.

And this man… He deserves this, more than anyone.

This… This is just another beginning.


	22. First Sights

**Hey there! I'm back!**

 **This one is just a self indulgent thing, that I wrote long ago! I found it and I had to publish it! We need to see more of this sweet, tender Temari!**

* * *

She looks at his sleeping form and smiles. Just a while ago, seeing him sleeping in the middle of the day would make her have a fit. But right now, it's a calming, comforting thing. He was on a week long mission and he came back exhausted and depressed. She was the one who told him to go to bed and get some well-deserved sleep. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Temari looks at him, sprawled in the bed, lying with his stomach exposed, so trusting, so defenseless. He's sleeping with the woman known as "The Cruelest Kunoichi", the woman who made men tremble and beg for mercy, who fought in a war, who makes and breaks life changing deals on a daily basis, and yet, here he is, feeling perfectly safe in her presence.

Sometimes it feels like they know each other for all of their lives. Sometimes it feels like they know each other from other lives, like old souls who keep falling in love over and over again.

Sometimes it feels like they met each other yesterday, in that cursed Exam.

She still remembers that scrawny, lazy little boy who didn't want to fight her. At first, she thought that he was afraid, that her fame preceded her. He was just a tiny 12-year-old, who wouldn't stand a chance against her. She spent the day before their match, training and making fun of him. She called him a "scared baby", she said he would leave the arena crying with wet pants, she said that she would sent him running to his mummy's arms.

How wrong she was… He put one hell of a fight and make her quit. He forced her to quit! How dare him? And yet, he earned her respect. He was just a scrawny kid and he didn't flinch, he didn't run, he didn't cry or beg for mercy. He fought like a man and treated her like a gentleman. That was the first time that she looked at him as an man.

And just a little after that, she saved him. Everyone thought that she did it just for a political reason or to make him owe her something. That wasn't the true. She acted before she thought, her body moved on his own accord, making her stand between him and that woman. She hadn't a plan or a point, she just jump into action, something wild and primitive making her put herself between them, making her save his sorry ass. She never thought about her safety or what it meant, she just wanted to make sure he was safe. And that was

the first time that she looked at him as a potential ally.

She took him to the hospital. She waited outside that room while he was being checked up, she waited to make sure he was okay. It was the logical thing to do, the responsible thing to do. She couldn't just drop him there and walk away, she was a loyal woman, with high moral standards, she couldn't leave an ally lying in a hospital bed, without knowing if he was okay. That was her reasoning, that was the argument she used on herself. She didn't want to see the truth.

When he walked out of that room, barely talking to her, she felt betrayed… She waited for him and he didn't even acknowledge her, that ungrateful brat! She was about to yell with him, to scold him, when she noticed. She had to take a double look to see it, to see how he was trembling, how his voice cracked, to notice his fists, the nails digging in the skin, drawing blood from his palms. She was speechless for the first time in her life.

When the first tear rolled down his face, her heart shattered. She never had seen a man cry. He wasn't a boy crying out of fear or sadness, he was a hurted man, a deeply wounded man, crying tears of sorrow and regret, crying for his friends, crying bitter tears, filled with guilt. She just wanted to hug him, to hold him close and tell him everything would be okay. But she couldn't lie to him… And that was the first time that she looked at him as someone important to her.

All the days and nights spent working together. All the fights, the teasing, the shared meals and laughs. All the times she nagged him to make him give his best, to push him forward. All the meetings and councils and Exams and working hours. All the times they won an argument against the other members of the Alliance, working in perfect sync, like a well oiled machine. Those were the first times she looked at him as a teammate.

When his sensei died and she rushed through the desert to get to him. The way her heart was beating heavy on her chest, the pain in her gut, making her felt a knot on her throat. She knew that there isn't a logical explanation, not anymore. No one would sped up in the heat to be with a grieving co-worker, no one would feel like crying because a teammate was sad. She knew that she was doomed.

It took her only a day and a half to get to the village, half of the normal time. Her team was exhausted and baffled by her rush. She didn't even check with the Hokage, she didn't take time to wash up and rest. She run through the gates and went straight to him.

He was calmer than she expected, he had his revenge, he was almost in peace. That was what he told her. And she didn't believe a word. So she waited, she watched him lighting cigarette after cigarette, his eyes lost in the distance. Until she saw him bow his head, a shaky breath escaping his lips. And she pulled him in her arms, holding him close, holding him together, until all his tears dried and his heart calmed down to a steady beat. That was the first time she saw him as a friend.

The war came and went, destroying everything on its way. Taking lives away, destroying the village, leaving everyone broken in too many pieces. She saw him leading the way, she watch him putting his pain on hold to save as much people as possible. She saw him doing what he does best: putting someone's needs before his own. She respected it, she admired it. But she was worried. She was so, so worried that she felt like a rock on her chest, until she was holding him again, until she told him how important she was to her. Until she promised to be there forever. That was the first time she saw him as much more than a friend.

When he made that stupid stunt against Genko, she was pissed. She was ready to hit him hard, to beat some senses into him. She was worried sick. She thought, for a moment that she had lost him. Seeing him alive and well, whining with a perfect strategie (as usual) made her breath in relief, for the first time in weeks. And then he asked her out. She was stunned! She was speechless. She was so, so happy! And that was the first time that she saw the truth…

And she had to admit what everyone saw before her, what everyone told her. That day, she looked at the mirror and for the first time she saw it. A woman deeply in love with a man...


	23. Confusing

It was one of those afternoons, when the only thing to do was to tackle down the piles and piles of paperwork. The only sound in the room was the shuffling of paper and the scratch of the pen on official sheets.

Just a nice and calm afternoon, without missions to assign, meetings to go or councils to attend.

"Kakashi... " the counselor's voice broke the silence.

"Hmmmm…"

"What is the position of the Alliance regarding diplomatic confraternization?"

"What do you mean with 'confraternization'? You know better than me that the Alliance promotes the relationships between villages. Actually, those relations are the base where the Alliance was found in the first place... " The Sixth Hokage pauses his work and looks up to the boy - man, now he's a man - in front of him, a smile dancing in his eyes. "So… What you really mean with that?"

"Don't play those games with me. I'm not your former students." Shikamaru sighs. "You know very well what I meant. So, what is the position of the Alliance regarding it? And most important of all, what is your opinion?"

"My opinion? And why that matters?" Kakashi laughs. "Shikamaru, what me or the Alliance think is the least important thing in this case. What matters in here is what YOU want to do… And what she wants to do, of course…"

"You're jumping to conclusions…" the younger genius lightly blushes. "I didn't say anything about 'her'... Whoever you are thinking about…"

"I'm not jumping to conclusions, Shikamaru. I never jump to conclusions. That's what got me in this messy position in the first place." he says, gesturing to the office. "I understood your question from the beginning. If you were talking about 'friendly confraternization' you didn't need to ask me anything. This Alliance was found on the friendship between Naruto and the Kazecage. Actually, he pretty much befriend every Cage. So, the Alliance has nothing against friendship between villages and diplomats, it actually promotes it."

The counselor shakes his head. How did he got himself in this conversation? He's between a rock and a hard place, without anywhere to go. He knows that he can out-wit the Hokage. The man is one of the most intelligents man on the planet…

"Troublesome…"

"Yeah, love tends to be troublesome…" Kakashi laughs. "But isn't illegal or condemned by the council. It's a little bit rare to see those kinds of feelings between shinobi of two different villages, but it's a good sign. It's a sign of peace…"

"Love?" the brunette sputters. "Ohh, slow down there… I didn't… I didn't say…"

"Oh come on, Shikamaru! Now, you're the one playing games." the older man smiles gently, leaning against the back of his chair. "She rushed to your aid every time she knew you need back up, she takes every opportunity to come here for 'meetings', you refused a mission just to go on a date, you ACTUALLY do your job with a happy face when she's around." he rests his shin on his hand. "You are in love. Both of you."

Shikamaru sighed. This isn't the way he planned this conversation. He is known to plan everything 30 moves ahead and here he is, feeling like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"That's… That's… Just... " He sputters. Great, now he can't even form coherent sentences! So much for the "genius" of the village…

"Words, Shikamaru, use words. I'm the Hokage, not the cryptic unit…" Kakashi teases.

"Fine. Okay, fine! We are in love… I guess" He raises his hand to stop the other man from talking. "I said 'I guess'. I'll not make assumptions here, specially in HER behalf and in what concerns to her. She would kill me if I did. But…" He pauses for a moment, closing his eyes and leaning back on his chair, his hands behind his head. "I know what I feel…"

Kakashi smiles and nods, encouraging him to continue to talk.

"The thing is… It's not that simple. She lives 3 days away from here. She's essential to her village, so she can't move out just like that. I can't move there because my job is here, my mom is here, my clan is here. And I don't even know what diplomatic mess this can turn out to be… So… being 'in love' isn't enough, Kakashi… I have, we have to think this through… For our sake and for the Alliance sake…"

"Oh, screw the Alliance!" The Hokage waves his hands, dismissively. "You can't postponed your happiness because it isn't in the Alliance schedule." He straightens up and looks at the young man in front of him. "Look, I know very little about love, especially this kind of love. But one thing I know for sure: it goes away if you don't hold on to it. We are Shinobi, our live's expectancy is shorter than average. Being diplomats shortens it even more. You can die tomorrow or the day after that. She can die. The peace can be broken. You can't throw away your love just because it may be inconvenient for the council's agenda…"

"We still live 3 days away… It's not that easy…"

"No, it isn't… But it is worth it, right?" The other man nods. "So, fight for it… You'll find a way. You are not the head strategists of your villages just for your good looks! You'll find a way. Together! Because you know and she knows and I know and all the Kages know that you work together like a well oiled machine. So, don't give up on her. Don't give on your love. It's not the time to forfeit, Shikamaru…"

The genius was stunned for a moment. It's not usual for the Hokage to be this passionate about something, to give this kind of speech. He would expect it from his late sensei, even from his father. But since their departure the only ones giving him this kind of talk were his best friends… And her. Not the Hokage. Especially, not this one!

"I went into 'sensei mode' here, didn't I?" Kakashi laughs. "Sorry, old habits die hard, you know?" He winks conspirationally. "To be honest, this isn't the first speech of this kind that I gave lately… I don't know what is up with you, but you're a very complicated generation…"

"Your students are a lot more complicated than I am…" Shikamaru stated. "And things aren't easy. They never were."

"I don't say they were. I'm just saying that you're always ready to fight, you're always prepared to the next great war. You didn't hesitated when the time to fight arrived, you didn't flinch or back way, even when you saw so many die in front of your eyes. You knew your job and what needed to be done. So… Why are you running from love?"

"Because that's not a fight that I was prepared for… LEt's get back to the work!" He sighed and started heading to the door. "But… Thanks… This… This actually helped a lot…"

"Anytime, Shikamaru… I'm not your boss, okay? I'm your friend. You can come to me…" Kakashi smiled and went back to the paperwork…

This generation… "Minato-sensei… Asuma… Jyraia… Am I doing the right thing with this kids? Is encouraging them the right thing? Love is nice, right? You knew love so much better than I did… Yeah, love is the right thing…" He gave himself a mental pep talk and started signing papers.

Oh young love… Confusing, messy, complicated, tricky, desperate, beautiful, sweet, amazing young love...


	24. Silence

**So, I came across this writing prompt ("The silence woke her up") and I finally found the inspiration to answer to a request I had a long time ago. Someone popped me a PM asking for these to lovebirds, thinking about the distance between them. I hope you'll like it! I promise that I'll leave the angsty, sad chapters for a bit and return to my usual fluffy sweetness...**

 **Oh, btw, Happy New Year! I hope that 2018 fills all your dreams and that you find your happiness every single day!**

* * *

The silence woke her. It's not that she isn't used to the silence., growing up in a small village in the middle of the desert taught her soon that silence means that everything is ok... Or maybe that someone on the inside is conspiring against the Kage, but that is beyond the point right now...

The silence that woke her tonight it's not the usual Suna kind of silence... It's a heavy, suffocating silence, the one that follows her everytime she comes home from the Leaf...

It's a melancolic silence that makes her feel like she doesn't belong in her own skin. It's like a restless feeling, that makes her skin itch and her heart ache.

It's like she doesn't belong in her home anymore.

She'll never admite it to anyone, but it's like her body longs for the green landscapes and blue skies, the pouring rain and the soft snow, the mildly warm spring days and the freezing cold winter nights that Konoha gives to her.

And the sound, the constant background noise that she used to hate. The bustling of people on the street, the laughter of children in the Academy, the shuffling of feet up and down the halls of the Consulate. The uninterrupted noise that once drove her crazy, now was a familiar, safe lullaby that makes her feel secure and at home.

But what she misses most of all is him... She'll never confess that out lound, but that guy change her forever.

She used to be so level-headed, so mission oriented, so focus on her job. She wasn't very attached to anyone besides her own brothers, she felt like she was incapable of love anyone.

Until the day that he changed everything... He picked up her world and turned it upside down. He ripped appart all her preconceptions, broke all her walls and knocked down the gate that lead to her heart.

He exposed her, beyonde her naked skin. He exposed her naked soul, her broken heart. He mend all her pieces back together, he kissed all her fears and worries away, like someone kissing a child scraped knee: with love and gentleness and a familiar ease, like if he did it all of his life.

It's an instant reliefe seeing him at the gates of Konoha, leaning against the wall, his head resting in his hands, a smirk on his lips.

She used to scold him, saying that it's unsafe to be out there so exposed. His open chest it's an easy target for every kunai within hundread miles. And he just laughed and told her that he isn't an idiot. He knows the location of every Anbu squad, of every trap and alarm system that surronds Konoha. They are as safe in here as inside the gates.

And she mumbled something in response, not wanting to admit how this scares her, this way of living, this way of thinking, this blind trust in the system. She knows all the dirty screts that the system hides, she knows how easy it is to betray someone, she knows all the danger that lies inside and outside those gates. She knows how easy it would be to lose him... And he knows it too. He just pretends that he doesn't care. He just pretends that he's invincible. He just pretends that he'll be with her forever. He just pretends that he doesn't see how much she worries about him, about them. He just pretends that he doesn't know how much he loves her.

And she loves him so much, even if she'll never admit it. She loves him even more when she's away, when she misses him so much that feels like something was ripped out of her chest, like something is crawling under her skin and that the air can't get into her lungs properly.

She'll never confess how much this distance hurts her, how much she cries in the silent, lonely nights, how much she longs to be with him again.

The silence woker her. Not the confortable silence that lulls her to sleep in Kononha. It's a heavy silence that makes her stare at the calendar in the wall. And start counting the days...

* * *

The silence woke him. Not the easy silence of a semi-empty house in the middle of a large compound. It's a suffocating silence. Like someone is sitting on his chest, like a perfurating wound in the middle of his lungs.

He used to sleep so easily. Not a single sleepless night, not a nap wasted tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable, trying to keep his eyes closed, long enough to the dark obliviation takes him.

Now, everything changed. And she is the only culprit.

She changed him forever. She pushed him further and beyond, she made him want to work harder, to achieve more and more everyday, to change the Village old ways, to stir the Alliance way of thinking, to be the wind of transformation that leades the world to a better place.

She is his Will of Fire. The one that Asuma kept talking about, the one that is the ground foundation of this Village, the one that made so many men and women to sacrifice their lifes in its name.

And finally, he can see why it seemed so easy. He finally understand how it feels to not have to think twice, to plan ahead, to force his body to move in deliberated, perfectly planned moves. His body just reacts to her before he even thinks about it.

His hands are at her waist before he thinks about lifting them. His mouth meets her before he dreams about a kiss. His body is shielding her from a enemy before he plans a safe strategy.

She changed everything and now he's this guy. This restless, fidgety, sleepless, always worried guy.

He worries about the enemies hidding in the desert, the ones hidding within the Kazegage's own people. He worries about the long journeys, the heat, the sand storms. He worries about the temperature changes, the heavy storms of Konoha and the way that it drives her out, making her dance in the middle of the rain. The cold winter nights that leave her bluish and freezing. The careless way of thinking she has when it concerns to her. Not admitting that she is tired or sad or sick. Not admitting that she needs someone, anyone, him...

Now he's this guy, thinking if she's ok, if she ate enough, if she slept enough, if she is happy, if she had a bad day or a good day or a normal day. If she needs someone to talk about the good days and the bad days and the days in between. If someone listens to her ramblings, to her mumbled confessions, to her excited rantings. If someone notices the dark circles under her eyes, the slightly pale tone of her skin, the way her hands tremble imperceptibly.

He tells her how much this distance hurts him. He tells her that he would leave everything behind to follow her to the end of the world. He tells her that he can't take it anymore.

And she smiles and tells him to be patience. Just another Exam, just one more year, just a little more time. She tells him that everything will be alright, that they'll be together 24/7, all day, everyday until they can't stand each other anymore. She laughs and teases him about this new way of thinking, this new restless soul that he got.

And he tells her that this is all her fault.

The silence woke him. Not the shaky silence that rocks him to sleep, with her in his arms and a raging storme outside of the window. It's a troubled silence that makes him stare at the ceiling... And start counting the days...


	25. Ball

**These first two lines were a prompt that I found on Pinterest. I fell in love and I really had to write something with it.**

 **So, this is it! My first only dialogue fic.**

 **I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"If we die, I'm going to spend the rest of our afterlife reminding you that this was all your fault!"

"Great, i wouldn't mind having company while being a ghost… Especially, your company, trouble!"

"Can you shut up? I'm dying over here!"

"You're whining, not dying. This is a party. Have fun, mingle, make some friends!"

"Are you trying to make me choke to death in my own drink?"

"If that makes you stop complaining, yes, I am…"

"I'm so close of killing… This was the worst idea you ever had."

"I thought that my worst idea was giving you a potted plant…"

"That is a close second…"

"It's a plant! Stop being a drama queen…"

"If you call me drama queen one more time, I swear I'll hit you with my tensen so hard that you'll wake up in another dimension!"

"Great, at least no one will be complaining there…"

"You're an ass…"

"You're troublesome! We HAVE to be in here! This is a diplomatic ball, we are diplomats. This is supposed to help strengthen the bonds between diplomats and their villages. It's a nice thing…"

"I slept with you at least six nights per week. You saw me naked this morning. Our bond is pretty strong, thank you very much!"

"It could be stronger…"

"Really? Right now? Don't even start!"

"You're too stressed out, woman. Breath. Have a drink. Talk to people. Dance with me."

"I hate these stupid, posh events. These are for shallow people parade around with flashy dresses and cocky smiles, talking about empty nonsense. I grew up in these. And I hate every minute of them. Besides, my shoes hurt my feet…"

"So, take them off!"

"Are you insane? I can't be in here barefoot! I'm Suna's princess and one of the Alliance's diplomats…"

"That isn't posh at all…"

"This floor is disgusting!"

"Such a princess…"

"I'll kill you! I swear!"

"Come on, dance with me! I'm bored!"

"Go take a nap!"

"Don't tempt me…"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Do you want to bet on it?"

"Stop, we need to endure this… You're supposed to be my date…"

"Actually, I have my own invitation, I could bring anyone I wanted too…"

"You're annoying the life out of me…"

"So, dance with me, keep me entertained…"

"If you behave properly, I can think of a couple of ways to entertain you… Later!"

"See? That's the spirit! Come on, only… 2 hours to go…"

"Oh for Kami sakes… Still 2 hours?"

"Yup, and another hour of speeches and congratulations and yadda-yadda…"

"I bet my brothers are dying of boredom…"

"Actually, your middle brother run off with some girl from the Mist an hour ago. And your little brother is over there, peacefully talking with the Hokage…"

"WHAT? Are you kidding me? That traitor…"

"Let the guy be… He's not even in a relationship… He isn't doing anything wrong…"

"He should be here, suffering just like me!"

"We can run away secretly too…"

"I have to give a speech…"

"In 2 hours…"

"People will notice…"

"They are wasted. They wouldn't notice if their arms were cut off…"

"We are an important piece of the Alliance, we should behave accordingly…"

"There isn't a non-confraternization rule…"

"Stop tempting me…"

"Says the girl with the belly-deep cleavage…"

"It's not that big!"

"It is. I love it, by the way…"

"Don't be a pervert…"

"I'm being appreciative…"

"You're being annoying... Come on, let's dance…"

"Finally!

"This was your plan all along, isn't it?"

"You know me too well…"

"I hate you!"

"I love you too!"


	26. Staring

Summer in Konoha is a lot different than in Suna. Instead of overbearing heat and heavy skies, with the sun burning like a flame, in here, the sun is bright blue, a slight breeze rustles the trees and the nights are filled with stars and soft moonlight.

She'll never say it out loud, but to her this is the definition of perfection and contentment.

Well, it would be if that lump in the ground, that she calls boyfriend (Wait… When did she start calling him that?) stops complaining every single minute because "it's too hot to think".

"Ughhhh, can you stop with that whining?"

"I hate this heat… I hate it even more than you hate Winter…"

"I don't hate Winter, I just dislike it…"

"Troublesome… It's the same…"

"It's not…"

"Yes, it is"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes… Oh come on, you make me behave like a child…"

"Well, you're a child comparing to me…"

"It's not my fault that you're an old woman…"

"I'll hit you to the next century…"

"Great, fan me while you're at that…"

He closes his eyes again and waits for the witty remark that he's sure that will come next.

But only silence meets him…

There is only so much curiosity that a man can withstand. Even the most patient of men…

"Cat got your tongue?"

"No… I'm just surprised with your death wish…"

He chuckles and turns to her.

"Tem, we both know that you'll not kill me anytime soon. Actually, we both know that we are pretty much stuck together. So, stop glaring like that, you'll get wrinkles."

"Oh, do we know that? And how do you are so sure about it?"

"Ok, let's make a list!" He sits up, smirks and raises a finger. "First, you can't afford a diplomatic crisis that would probably start a new war, just to kill me." Another finger. "Second, no one puts up with your temper like me." He shakes his hand, stopping her from interrupt. "AND no one loves your temper like me, as troublesome as it is." Finger number three. "Three. No one puts up with me like you. And loves every second of it!" He winks at her outraged look. "Four, killing me will leave you with no one to argue and to challenge you like me. And five…" He lurches forward and puts his hand in the nape of her neck. "We are meant to be, and every moron in the world can see that!"

Her eyes pop open to the sudden movement. She's starting to get too comfortable around him, she didn't even notice his "attack" before it was too late.

"Get off of me!" He sits back and laughs at her. "You definitely have a death wish"!

"I promise to die fighting for a good cause, so… To me this seems like a great one…"

Temari crosses her arms and stares at him. Well, glaring is a more suitable term, judging by her crossed arms, pursed lips and straight back.

All her body screams "I dare you to say another word, I double dare you!"

He stares back at her, like the kids use to play in the Academy, a childish glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

And suddenly, it's like the time and space backflipped.

He's 12 again and is standing in that cursed arena.

 _Her body is tense and ready to fight. I can't win this. She has the triple of my chakra pool, twice of my skills and probably ten times more experience…_

 _Troublesome…_

 _Think, Shikamaru, think! Use what you have and try not to die in the process…_

 _Damn, I don't want to lose to a girl… Really? A girl? What did I do to deserve this?_

 _Troublesome… Naruto had to shove me into this, that knucklehead…_

 _That Tensen will be the death of me… Not even this trees will provide enough shadows to reach her…_

 _Look at her, Shikamaru. That glare could kill a man…_

 _She's not here to play games… I'll have to stop hiding and running…_

 _How did she figure out my jutsu's range? Lucky me… Not only an aggressive woman, but she's smart too… She's even more scary than my mom!_

 _Think Shikamaru! Keep your head in the game…_

 _Oh, are you staring at me? I'll stare back… You'll probably kill me if no one intervenes soon enough, but I'll die staring back, woman!_

 _I'm losing chakra with all this tries… She already got my game… I have to surprise her… But how? How can I surprise her when she's staring right through my soul?_

 _It's worse that the Sharingan and the Byakugan combined… That death glare gives me chills… If I was standing here naked, I wouldn't be more exposed…_

 _And here we go again! That hellbound Tensen… Really, girl? Did you thought that I wouldn't notice you open that giant thing? My room is smaller than that!_

 _She's a brute… Her jutsu is anything but refined… She lurches forward full force…_

 _Hmmmm… Forward, han? If you are just focusing on what is in front of you, you can't watch your back…_

 _Kami, I would give anything to have Choji and Ino here, to provide some distraction… If only I could reach her from the back…_

 _Another fan attack? Not original, girl, not original…_

 _Let's see… You can do this, Nara! Stop lazing around and fight like a man! You're not a mouse to be hiding in the shadows…_

 _Actually… The sun is setting… The shadows are getting bigger… If I save some chakra…._

 _Ok, so she'll attack me over and over until she corners me or she sends me through that wall…_

 _But her reach is not a lot better that mine… I have to keep her away from me…_

 _That's it, woman, let's dance!_

 _Yup, you got confident, didn't you? You are so sure that you'll do to me what you did to Tenten…_

 _You really earned your title as the Cruelest Kunoichi…_

 _Damn, this was close. Settle down, Shikamaru, plan ahead of her…_

 _Ok, let's see…That's your plan. You'll blew me away like a fly. Keeping me far enough so I can't reach, but close enough so you can strike me full force. That's move number one._

 _Next? Hmmm… Cyclone? No, you know that I'll expect that…_

 _Ahan! Those circles on your Tensen. "Stars", that's what you call them…_

 _Every time you reveal another one, the fan's power increases…_

 _So, that's it. Three "stars", moves two, three and four…_

 _But you know that it wouldn't be enough to finish me… You know that I'll dodge that…_

 _Next, you'll try that slicing wind thing, right? Try to cut me in half. Hello, number five._

 _What's next? Dodging my tools, right? You know that I still have tools in me, you have to dodge that… Six._

 _Then I'll be cornered into that wall back there. That's what you want, right? Seven._

 _A tornado like the one you did in the other five. Eight._

 _Throw me around for a bit, maybe against the walls, knock me unconscious. Nine._

 _And the final blow, straight to the ground. Bang! Ten!_

 _But you didn't count with that hole. That one. Right behind you. The one I've been pushing you to. Yes, that one._

 _Thanks girl._

 _KAGEMANE NO JUTSU! COMPLETE!_

 _And now, I haven't enough chakra to finish this… Great plan, Nara! You can't stay like this forever..._

 _Really? Glaring at me right now? Troublesome… I'll put an end to that glare!_

 _Okay, I'll do what I do best… You can be the Cruelest Kunoichi, but I'm the Number One at Running Away and I have a name to live up to… So…_

 _I FORFEIT!_

A loud laugh breaks his thoughts…

"Hun? What are you laughing at?"

"At you, lazy ass… Where were you right now? Under a Genjutsu?"

"Nah… Just remember the first time I saw that glare…" He leans forward, his face bearily two inches away from hers. "And the first time I made you lose it…"

"Oh really? And when was that?"

"The Chunnin Exams… Remember how you glared at me? I make you drop that act so, so easily…"

"Easily? I had your ass right where I wanted it to be…"

"You thought so… But I was ten moves ahead…"

"I'll have to give you that…" She smiles softly. "You really were ten moves ahead…"

"Yeah, but there was only one move that I didn't see coming…"

"Wich one?"

"The one where you got back at me, on my own game…"

"Hun?" Her surprised look makes him chuckle.

"You didn't need a Shadow Binding Technique to bond me to you…" He kisses her and gently pushes her to the ground. "And these bond… It'll never run out of chakra…"

She kisses him back. "You're so full of yourself today, Nara boy…"

"That's because I won this staring contest… Again…"

"You what?"

"You laughed, that's the rule! The first one to laugh, loses!"

"Oh well… I think I know a prize that the winner will like…" She whispers right into his ear. "Will like a lot…"

Yes… He knows, since the first day, that her glare could kill him… But those eyes… Oh those eyes are worth to die for...


End file.
